'Whimsical, unexpected, frequently revelatory, exquisitely observed (and written), this is vintage Tim Ward-I loved it.' Ian Weir, author of The Death and Life of Strother Purcell
In the aftermath of the pandemic, author Tim Ward and his wife, Teresa, decided to leave their home and professional careers in the US to spend a year in Europe as fl neurs. The French word "fl neur" means one who "wanders without purpose, observing society." As the French literary critic Sainte-Beuve explained it, to fl ne "is the very opposite of doing nothing." Indeed, it is to give yourself the gift of time: permission to live an unstructured life and, by so doing, discover something about the world, and about yourself.
Industry Reviews
'Whimsical, unexpected, frequently revelatory, exquisitely observed (and written), this is vintage Tim Ward-I loved it.'--Ian Weir, author of The Death and Life of Strother Purcell
I have been a Tim Ward fan since What the Buddha Never Taught. In Mature Flaneur he shows that it's possible to find a life partner of matching and opposing sensibilities, adding depth and spice to the journey.--Melanie Choukas-Bradley, author of Finding Solace at Theodore Roosevelt Island
In this wonderful book, Tim Ward invites us to slow down our lives enough to find the hidden gems right in our midst. Through his vivid accounts of his travels through Europe during his "senior gap year" with his wife, I could imagine meandering through the small lanes he discovered in Paris, felt my heart racing as he negotiated the vertiginous Dolomite hiking trails, and burst out laughing during his near-accident motorboating in the Arctic Circle. Tim Ward is a brilliant storyteller and we benefit from his indefatigable curiosity. Whether you decide to follow in his flaneuring footsteps or not, after reading this book you will see the world around you with different eyes.--Stephanie J. Miller, author of Zero Waste Living, the 80/20 Way
With a keen eye, sense of the absurd, and an underlying philosophy of life, Tim enthrals as he entertains. But a warning: reading him will make you long to flaneur too, as I was forced to do!--C.C. Humphreys, novelist and director of the rock-opera version of What the Buddha Never Taught
Would you like to quit your job and travel with no itinerary, no destination, and a beautiful companion? Tim Ward did just that. Dive into these pages as he strolls, explores, and hikes his way across some of the most beautiful places in Europe.--Marsha Scarbrough, author of Honey in the River