Rick Stein's French Odyssey : Complete BBC Series [DVD] [2005][Two-disc]

This is probably my least favourite of his various Odysseys, escapes and such.Compared to his other shows he doesn't really seem to get immersed in the culture at all. For some reason they thought a good way for him to see the cooking and culture of France was to have him travel through its countryside on a Barge with an entirely non-French crew (if I recall correctly), speaking to various British expats doing the same. The show focuses far too much on the Barge aspect. 6 hours to try give a look at French culture and about 2 hours is people talking about Barges.

Rick Stein is my favourite TV chef. He is not only informative about cuisine, but being something of an intellectual he situates cuisine in its history and geography. His TV programmes are the perfect example of food travelogue for the intelligent and cultured. In HD format they are beautifully photographed, too. His French series makes one thinking about getting on the ferry and following in his footsteps. Bon appetit, Ricki, and vive lan France.

Another brilliant series to add to my Rick Stein collection.I loved visiting the little French villages.Well packaged and reasonably priced.Thank you for taking the time to read my review.I hope you found it helpful.

Rick Stein rides a barge slowly through the southern French country side on the Canal du Midi, sampling local dishes and visiting local markets. He cooks local dishes and his usual down to earth patter makes it so easy to follow the recipes.This is also a travelogue, and you cannot help but feel you've been on a holiday to southern France yourself. There is the same feeling of anticlimax when the dvds finish. I often play this on Sunday mornings and have been known to put them on again when it is wet and rainy outside.I lived in southern France myself off and on for 20 years and can find no fault with Rick's presentation, nor the food he cooks. He gets away from the obvious tourist cliches, and stops en route for some fascinating gastronomic trips.Gave it 5 stars because I simply cannot fault it.

A lovely series about Rick Stein travelling along the canal on the west of France, and the dishes local to those areas. Well produced, scenic, good cooking tips and information.

We have watched this series many times, both the repeats on TV as well as from the DVD and it never fails to capture our interest. Better still, we have since visited many of the locations, initially by accident then intentionally, and have been able to sample exactly what Rick refers to in the films.Many of Rick's recipes have become our regular meals, all are easy to prepare and cook.

I wholeheartedly subscribe to all the enthusiastic reviews! Mr Stein's "Odyssee" is so mouthwatering that it can stand repeated watching. Looking at the backside of the DVD-box one is, however, slightly amused at some misprints! According to the text Mr Stein travelled on "the mighty Girdone river in Bordeux" - a pinch of more care with the text would not have done any damage. But, as said before, a perfect pleasure to watch and savour.

Together the cooking, scenery and interviews make a special series.