David Downie - Paris to the Pyrenees (in conversation with Don George)

In conversation with Don George 

Driven by curiosity, wanderlust, and health crises David Downie and his wife set out from Paris to walk across France to the Pyrenees. Starting on the Rue Saint-Jacques then trekking 750 miles south to Roncesvalles, Spain, Paris to the Pyrenees: A Skeptic Pilgrim Walks the Way of Saint James ($27.95) follows their eccentric route: 72 days on Roman roads and pilgrimage paths--a 1,100-year-old network of trails leading to the sanctuary of Saint James the Greater. It is best known as El Camino de Santiago de Compostela-"The Way" for short.

The object of any pilgrimage is an inward journey manifested in a long, reflective walk. For Downie, the inward journey met the outer one: a combination of self-discovery and physical regeneration. More than 200,000 pilgrims take the highly commercialized Spanish route annually, but few cross France. Downie had a goal: to go from Paris to the Pyrenees on age-old trails, making the pilgrimage in his own maverick way.

 

Listen to David discuss his new book on NPR below:
http://www.npr.org/2013/04/14/176830220/a-pilgrimage-through-france-though-not-for-god

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Paris to the Pyrenees By David Downie Cover Image
for information about purchasing this book, please contact orders@bookpassage.com
ISBN: 9781605984322
Published: Pegasus Books - April 1st, 2013