Rick Stein's French Odyssey: Complete BBC Series [DVD] [2005][Two-disc] [Region2] Requires a Multi Region Player

Just returned from a 7 day barge trip on the Cher (Loire Valley) captained by Leigh Wootton (last half of French Odyssey) and run by the same operator (gobarging.com) so we had a special interest in the DVD. I'd been prepared for something a bit hokey, but the food, views of French life along the waterways, and the barging were awesome. Eat before watching this. Otherwise, you'll need to stop and fix snacks before finishing. Rick Stein is a knowledgeable chef who has a no-nonsense attitude about French cuisine and the value of using fresh, local ingredients. No 3-star Michelin restaurants... just excellent local cuisine along the canals. The DVD that I viewed was Region 2 which won't play on standard players in North America so check it out before buying.

Canal du Midi Traveligue - brilliant - inspirational!

Its great. Exactly as I had hoped and expected. Clear photography, beautiful scenery and Rick at his inimitable self!

Nice pace, nice countryside, nice food, nice show.Lower key than the US equivalent.Be aware (as I was) that the DVD Region code is for Europe, not USA.

Lots of interesting information about traveling in France using the waterways. Would recommend this CD to anyone and everyone the is a Francophile

The DVD was advertised as North America spec, but arriived as zone 2+4 and is not compatable here. I can only watch it on computer using Windows Media Player.

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.

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.