Memoirs by people who've spent a lifetime working in the hospitality
industry are rare enough; and, when they do happen, they're often self-serving which is a great pity, because this is one of the best possible sources of brilliant stories. Paul Chatenoud is a Frenchman who runs a B&B, near Ardara in west Donegal. Paul has little time for what he calls the ayatollahs who keep us on the straight and narrow, whether it's stopping us smoking too much or drinking to excess. He's the very antithesis of another kind of Frenchman, the bureaucrat who invented VAT. Paul is an absolute and unyielding Contrarian, which is what makes this book such fun to read and, at times, astonishing. His thoughts range far and wide, from the shallows to the deeps.
more...
more...
