Paris to the Pyrenees by David Downie

Paris to the Pyrenees by David Downie

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Summary

Part adventure story, part cultural history, an exploration of the phenomenon of pilgrimage along the age-old Way of Saint James in France.

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Paris to the Pyrenees by David Downie

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 and trekking 750 miles south to Roncesvalles, Spain, their eccentric route takes seventy-two days on Roman roads and pilgrimage paths—a 1,100-year-old network of trails leading to the sanctuary of Saint James the Greater. 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.
“An entertaining readDavid Downie is fabulous company!” -- Jackie lyden, All Things Considered, National Public Radio
“Downie’s adroit, learned, and ambitious book reinvigorates my sense of travel, taking me back to the happy knowledge that the world is still large, and history unfathomably deep.” -- Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun
“David Downie is the master of educated curiosity. I have walked some of the city’s streets with him, and reading this book is just as tactile an experience.” -- Michael Ondaatje
“Evocative and moving. Downie brings a deep and impassioned knowledge of French history, culture, and language to this pilgrimage. The result is an extraordinary account that illuminates France past and present.” -- National Geographic Traveler
David Downie, a native San Franciscan, lived in New York, Rome, and Milan before moving to Paris. Downie’s travel, food and arts features have been published worldwide. He is the author of two previous novels and over a dozen nonfiction history, travel and food books, including the highly acclaimed Paris, Paris; A Passion for Paris; Paris to the Pyrenees; and A Taste of Paris. He divides his time between France and Italy with his wife, the photographer Alison Harris.
SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9781605985565
ISBN 10 1605985562
Title Paris to the Pyrenees
Author David Downie
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher Pegasus Books
Year published 2014-05-06
Number of pages 372
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note Unavailable