Year 1 - Fur Babies in France: From Wage Slaves to Living the Dream

Adventure Caravanning with Dogs #1

by Jacqueline Lambert

“Laugh out loud funny & a great travel guide.” *

Have you ever thought of giving up work and heading off into the sunset with surf boards on your roof? If you answer 'Yes' – or you just like dogs, caravans or travel, this book is for you.

Year 1 – Fur Babies in France follows the true story of a couple who accidentally bought a caravan – and then decided to rent out the house, sell most of their possessions and tour Europe full-time with their four dogs, Cavapoos Kai, Rosie, Ruby and Lani.

It was a steep learning curve, involving many breakages and a near-death experience. Discover whether, with the application of humour, they find peace and tranquillity on the back roads of France – with a bit of windsurfing thrown in!

*More 5* Reviews for Fur Babies in

What a joyful piece. Elegant, articulate and very funny! Love it.A nice light hearted read with a few useful tips thrown in.Great book, a lovely insight into how you can give up the daily grind and head off into the sunset.Fun Read! Very Informative! A well written, real, honest travel guide with lots of useful information.Although part of a series which is chronological in time, and follows the author since giving up work to travel, each book is a stand-alone adventure.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Humor

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 3, 2018

About the author

Jacqueline Lambert is a multi-award-winning travel writer, who has authored a series of light-hearted travelogues.

These follow her journey A.D. (After Dog) when she quit work to embark on a permanent road trip around Europe with her husband and four Cavapoo pups.

A dedicated adventurer, B.C. (Before Canines) she rafted, rock climbed, and backpacked around six of the seven continents.

A passionate windsurfer and skier, she can fly a plane, has been bitten by a lion, and appeared as a fire eater on Japanese TV.

Reviews

[Julie Haigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carry on caravanning-an entertaining and fun read.

I love the fun cover of this book. I love the subject matter-travel, and dogs, you can't go wrong!

Jacqueline and hubby Mark both faced redundancy. But this brought about the chance to do something different with their lives. They would be able to travel; get a dog-they ended up with four! They didn't think they would be buying a caravan. Friends invited them to the Caravanning, Camping and Motorhome Show......they didn't think they needed to go there! They eventually did get there. And somehow, they ended up buying! They rented out their home to live their dream travelling in their caravan and van combo

I really liked this. I liked the tone, the happenings. It was full of fun. Told with excitement, vibrancy, and humour. I loved that it’s different; they’re not getting a place abroad-they’re travelling many places, and taking their home with them. And the dogs sound just adorable. She really made me smile at their adventures and escapades; things that go wrong as they get used to everything on the way to becoming seasoned caravanners.

As you travel with them, there are various links to click on to check out the areas where they are; certain things that are mentioned etc.

Looking forward to reading more books in the series.

[Lisa Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book of a series by Jacqueline Lambert whose writing I discovered through reading an anthology in which she was a featured author. In Itchy Feet, Jacqueline was white water rafting on the Zambezi, something which immediately made me take notice. Here was an unconventional person who was ready for an adventure.
Adventure Caravanning with Dogs (1), fur babies in France, is a book which describes itself to perfection. It is an adventure from start to finish of two people and four dogs in a caravan. Through some serendipitous accidents, Jacqueline and her husband Mark give up the rat race to tour Europe. They accidentally buy a caravan, sell the house and many of their worldly possessions (having somewhat less space in said caravan). They break some other possessions, and set off with their four cavapoos on a life of adventure.
Jacqueline has a knack for funny lines (and dreadful puns) which left me laughing out loud. Her request for maternity leave from her boss so she can go touring tickled me to bits. As did some of the ‘Markie Moments’. The author also explains her reasons for leaving the rat race which resonated with me as it’s something we did some years ago. ‘Happiness is in the experience, not owning stuff’, she says. Just as well as half their stuff has already been disposed of or smashed by that point! It is true that one doesn’t need much of the stuff one has and that happiness should, in an ideal world, be of far more importance than wealth for wealth’s sake and these six seem so happy.
I loved reading of their adventures with Big Blue and Kismet, both the wonderful places they stayed and some of the near calamities on the way. The idea of going with the flow and not having a set agenda is a delight and who could not fall instantly in love with the fab four, Rosie, Kai, Ruby and Lani: even when they had been rolling in something unsavoury.
A big hug to them all and I look forward to the next set of adventure caravanning from this talented author.

[Carrie Riseley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a dream it is. A fantastic story of two people and four dogs who live in freedom in a caravan called Kismet. I'd say "pure freedom", but it's not quite because they are occasionally plagued by things like bogging or getting locked inside the caravan. But Lambert always finds a way to describe these hiccups most amusingly (particularly the latter incident as it was her husband, not herself, who got locked inside the caravan!)
Their lifestyle is indeed admirable and, for many, enviable, but for us, the readers, it's good that occasionally they have to fight swarms of moths or old ladies who spend half an hour watching them trying fruitlessly to get the caravan around a hairpin bend before advising them where the easier route was. It's good because it's those moments that really make this story a hoot. Entertaining from start to finish. Five stars.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book to read, full of humour, kept me wanting to read on to find out what excitement was to come. I love the part at the end where all the dogs personalities and traits are described, I feel like I know them just a little bit better now. Can't wait to read Year 2!

[Carol Rode · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Read

I enjoyed this story about their travel, doing it full time. This is my husband's and my plans as soon as we get worked thru our other commitments. I do wish they would of had more writing about the way they lived on the RV. Cooking or sleeping, besides just the places they visited.

[Sally Cronin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very entertaining and informative guide to caravanning with four dogs as companions through France.

Never having been on a caravan holiday, I was ignorant of all the technical requirements needed to not just tow this home on wheels, but manoeuvre it on and off pitches, keep it level, attach all the necessary services and avoid damaging critical pieces of the undercarriage.

The author shares her adventures for the preparation of both caravan and drivers before embarking on an ambitious debut extended tour of France. Daunting enough for the novice caravanner but with four dogs in the mix, quite a logistical challenge.

Whilst excellent information on the technical aspects are included, it is accompanied by an easy going and very humourous narration with some very witty double entendres thrown in for good measure.

For those who are planning a touring holiday of France in a caravan the book has a wealth of information on the best campsites for both scenery and facilities, especially when dogs are not always welcome. Certainly a pack is not usually considered to be acceptable despite the four in question being not only adorable but extremely well behaved. Whilst usually the case, apparently fox poop is the exception and then all bets are off. This can be a problem when you find yourself without a water connection and therefore no showers!

I know France reasonably well, but clearly you get to see a great deal more of the coast and inland areas than visits to the usual touristy hotspots. The book left me yearning for the open road and the freedom to stop in more out of the way places where campsites are the only option to stay for the night. A home on wheels definitely has its advantages, and again with four dogs who love to swim and run the beaches, the only sensible option if you take them with you, as hotels would be out of the question.

This is just the first book in the series and I am very much looking forward to reading the others. I finished this one with a smile on my face and a renewed desire for more travel adventures. I can highly recommend this honest, well written and amusing real life adventure.

[Tammy Horvath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jackie is full of life—and brave. I was shocked to read that Jackie had once tried “tiger cuddling, fire eating, and skydiving”. That alone was enough to persuade me to read this book. This book was full of travel adventures that I can only dream about. If I see and do half the things Jackie has, I will say I have lived life to the full. But unlike Jackie, I will not float on the highest-ranked rapids where dangerous predators are waiting to eat me. Needless to say, this book kept me on the edge of my seat as I joined her, Mark, her husband, and their four dogs on many adventures around Europe.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I had read all Jacqueline Lambert's memoirs but discovered I hadn't read the first book which describes how they came to embark on a nomadic lifestyle with four pups in tow! How exactly do you accidently buy a caravan, sell up your belongings and set off for France? I laughed my way through this book and gasped at some of their mishaps! What an intrepid pair she and Mark are, both adventurous and resourceful. ( They definitely had to be resourceful!) I love Jackie's wonderfully witty way with words - and her puns!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about their adventures with Big Blue and Kismet and I adored the antics of Rosie, Ruby, Lani and Kai their adorable fur babies. Super to have the Dog's Blogs and the hints and tips at the end. Who knew that silica gel kitty litter could be so useful?
Keep trucking on!

[Valerie Poore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second of Jackie Lambert’s books I have read although it is the first one in the series. The last one I read was Dogs n Dracula about Jackie and her husband’s travels in Romania, which I loved, so I was pleased to win this book in a draw.

Like Dogs n Dracula, this account is of the couple’s caravanning adventures, but because they were very new to the whole lifestyle, it is full of the many learning curves they underwent which were often incredibly funny. Starting off in the UK, they make an almost spontaneous decision to take off to France for several months and their travels around the country’s lovely departments are the subject of some wonderful descriptions, numerous ups, several downs and a number of crises, all of which Jackie recounts with great humour and much witticism. I am quite a Francophile myself, but I can relate very well to some of their experiences, including the mystery of hospitality businesses that close in the summer because the proprietors want to go on holiday. A very French quirk indeed.

Well written, full of bounce and fun, and a great book for wannabe caravaners or full time travellers. One thing both books have taught me, though, is never ever buy a large caravan. It sounds far too complicated and fraught with difficulties, but then again, it provides the subject matter for some great anecdotes.

Altogether, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will almost certainly read others in the series.

[Maximilian Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is living my dream. Traveling and dogs. It's a beautifully written book that takes the reader through the full range of emotions from laughing to crying to crying with laughter. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the rating for this book would change depending on your intent with it. If you plan to buy a caravan and utilize it to travel about, this is a FIVE STAR BOOK. There is SO MUCH INFORMATION about caravans (in America I don't know that we call them caravans--it's like a portable RV housing thing that is attached via trailer hitch to a van/truck).

Having said that, I have no desire to ever take a caravan anywhere, especially after reading this book. While I admire the author and her husband, it all sounds like far more trouble than it is worth to me personally but perhaps I am just lazy and I accept this. Either way, the level of detail about how the caravan worked and the various trials of said caravan were far more than I could possibly want to read about. Again, your mileage may vary.

While dense about the caravan, the book varies about its level of detail in other respects. There is an appendix about the dogs which would have been nice at the beginning because the entire book refers to the dogs lovingly but I couldn't tell them apart...until I read lengthy descriptions of each at the end of the book. The stops along the way in France are a mixed bunch, some made me want to visit and some made me wonder what was so interesting there since little was said. The author & her husband are both into windsurfing as well but I did not feel there was as much detail in that regard and it left me a little cold--I think there's probably much to be learned about this and it felt like a missed opportunity since most of the windsurfing content is focused on whether or not it was good. I would have enjoyed a bit of background on how windsurfing works, especially since I had unwillingly learned so much about the proper way to use ELKO trailer hitches.

Overall the author is charming and seems very fun. I would have liked even more personality to shine through, particularly since the bits where she seems annoyed at the French are the highlights to me. It's the character that often makes memoirs fun and there's too much of a diary aspect to this read that lacked the character I craved so much. Not bad at all but a slow read for me despite the short length.

[Mitos Suson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Jackie Lambert’s adventurous romp. Along with her husband Mark, she and their fur babies caravanned around the South of France. They lead a life one can only dream of. Anyone can think about traveling in a caravan or a RV, but only a few can turn that dream into a reality. Definitely, they journeyed through the road less traveled.

I don’t think I could muster half the courage they did. I’m too inured by my creature comforts. Instead, I’ll settle into a warm cozy bed and grab my copy of 'Fur Babies in France: From Wage Slaves to Living the Dream’. I’ll catch up with the adventures in her books. Thank God, it’s a series as well as a stand-alone book!

I admire Jackie’s storytelling craft; it’s full of humor, gripping and sincere. She can even make windsurfing sound thrilling! She’s sharing a lot of logistics about how they were able to break away from their daily grind to living their dream. Jackie is generous with valuable travel tips. She encourages would-be travelers to pursue their aspirations. She inspires you to go after your dream and live it.

She’s refreshingly candid about their successes and failures. Through all the trials and errors, she plunges headlong on to a road full of unknown surprises. They’re a wonderfully entertaining read! I highly recommend her books.

[Linda Hawkswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant Read

What a wonderful read. Having lost their jobs and not being able to work due to illness Jackie and Mark bit the bullet and accidentally bought a caravan. This act was closely followed by becoming parents to four adorable Cava poos Kai, Rosie, Ruby and Lani.

They decide to rent out their property and become full time caravanners and once Jackie has been on her towing course they sent out on their maiden trip to France. Oh what fun they had learning the intrigues of caravanning, the ups and downs, the joys and the troubles. The near misses on tricky roads along with the hairpin bends where it looks nigh on impossible to manoeuvre their long load. Trusty Blue does not let them down and getting them admirably through most of these situations.

They travel to and visit some wonderful places all of which are described in eloquent detail, thank you for the ride. Being a talented writer Jackie pulls you into the story and you are there with them, yes even when the pups decide to roll in fox poo, lol.

It brought back wonderful memories for me of the trials, tribulations but most of all fun I used to have caravanning with 3 small children under the age of 6. Thank you Jackie for the trip.

[Janet C · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love travel memoirs! If they involve dogs, I usually enjoy them even more. I just did not enjoy this book, which was a real disappointment. It was just a boring rendition of her journey and I found nothing fascinating in it. Her daily tales were nothing more than day to day activities. There was nothing exciting about it. I didn't really learn much about the places she visited, so nothing gained there. I really looked forward to reading this book and the many books to follow, but at the 60% mark I grew bored and struggled to make it to the end of the book. I will not be reading the following books even though I received one for free.

[L M Mugridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a light read, occasionally amusing, occasionally factual and like caravanning, dogs and the great outdoors (which actually we do!) then you will enjoy it. I rated it 3 stars only because I didn’t find it engaging enough and was one of those books that I tended to read a couple of chapters then read something else so it took me absolutely ages to finish it. Ironically when I did read it, I was mostly sitting in our caravan with a glass of wine and 3 dogs asleep at my feet.

[Drew Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute joy it was to read about Jackie and Mark’s adventures as caravan newbies with their 4 Cavapoos. Fate played a huge part in kickstarting their nomadic lifestyle, which bumps along from one hilarious event to the next as they spend the summer travelling through France in search of a good wave and a cheap bottle of plonk. Jackie has an easy writing style and a northern sense of humour and grit that seems to match my own. I know I’m going to have to keep reading more in the series now

[Fi Kidd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly inspirational and entertaining book. Whether you’re a dog lover, traveller, wannabe traveller, or lover of a good giggle this is the book for you. Jackie writes in such an amusing and informative way I was hooked from page 1. Delighted to know there are more books in this series as one is just not enough.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adventures In Caravaning

This is a hilarious account of newbie caravaners. Their story is an inspiration to all who love to travel and do their own thing. Some of the phrases were a little hard to follow and understand for an American who has never been to Europe. But I was able to get the gist of it. Looking forward to more adventures with this group.

[C.A. Scrimshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read, as someone who has been caravanning with dogs I found it particularly entertaining. I loved reading about their travels and even learnt a few tips on the way.
The only thing I found off putting were the constant geography references, they brought the book more in line with a travel guide at times. Maybe for someone who had visited these places that would be a bonus 🤔

[W A Carruthers · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous, honest, fun read! Thoroughly enjoyed this book and looking forward to reading the next one!

[Marcia Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Book

I liked the concept. It was good to read about their adventures—it does not make want to ever try this adventure, though! Good escape book.

[Teresa Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting!

An absolute joy to read, what fun adventures with hubby and pups in tow! Thanks for all the laughs and inspiration.