Three men on the bummel

Jerome K. Jerome

Published by Everyman's Library , softcover

Three Men on the Bummel, a 'sort of sequel' to Three Men in a Boat, describes the continuing adventures of George, Harris and 'I' — now somewhat older, and this time without the dog — as they desert boat for bicycle to make a tour through the Black Forest.

In typically tantalizing fashion, Jerome waits until the last paragraph of the book to explain that 'bummel' is a German word meaning a journey without any definite object; a 'ramble' is perhaps the nearest English equivalent. This is indeed a rambling account of a rambling holiday, with delightful word-pictures of the Germany of the turn of the century.

The trio's uncertain progress on the Continent gives a view of the English tourist abroad which still rings comically true today.