Paris to the Pyrenees, David Downie
Paris to the Pyrenees, David Downie
List: $21.95 | Sale: $15.37
Club: $10.97

Paris to the Pyrenees
A Skeptic Pilgrim Walks the Way of Saint James

Author: David Downie

Narrator: P. J. Ochlan

Unabridged: 11 hr 55 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/15/2013

Synopsis

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, their eccentric route takes 72 days on Roman roads and pilgrimage paths—an 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.

About David Downie

David Downie, an American journalist based in Paris since 1986, has written about European culture, food, and travel for magazines and newspapers worldwide. He was a Paris correspondent for Salon.com, Departures, Appellation, and Art & Antiques and has contributed to many websites. He is currently a blogger for Gadling.com, the popular literary travel site. The author of more than a dozen works of nonfiction and fiction, Downie’s writing has also appeared in many anthologies, among them The Collected Traveler volumes on Paris, Southwest France, and Central Italy; Salon.com’s Wanderlust; Travelers’ Tales: Adventures in Wine; and By the Seat of My Pants.

About P. J. Ochlan

P. J. Ochlan is an Audie Award–winning, multiple Earphones Award–winning, and Voice Arts Award–nominated narrator of hundreds of audiobooks. His acting career spans more than thirty years and has also included Broadway, the New York Shakespeare Festival under Joseph Papp, critically acclaimed feature films, and television series regular roles.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Mackay

Hmm. Shoulda loved this; didn't. It's a journey I wish I could take (but know myself well enough to know I'd hate the walking part). What I didn't like was how self-absorbed Downie was. Yes, the book is not simply a travel book, but about his own search for ... something. Whatever it turned out to b......more

Goodreads review by Dave

I guess I was expecting much more. Downie is a good writer, and I hate to say this, but he's just the wrong person to write this book. He's a jaded Parisien transplant who's already tasted all the great things France has to offer, so he takes a begrudging walk with his wife (photographs are exquisit......more

Goodreads review by Beverly

Pay attention to the sub title..." a skeptic walks the way of St. James". Skeptic indeed.Entertainingly well written, it is both a travel narrative and musings on what it's all about....(the journey NOT a destination is my read).Having lived in FRance a while back, his descriptions of the people of......more

Quotes

“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, New York Times bestselling author

“Evocative and moving…A lively wordsmith, Downie brings a deep and impassioned knowledge of French history, culture, and language to this pilgrimage…An extraordinary account that illuminates France past and present and casts a light on something even greater: the truth that, however we choose to label our journey, we are all pilgrims on a common quest, to answer why we wander life’s question-paved path.” National Geographic Traveler

“An entertaining read… fabulous company!” NPR

“Astutely ruminative, Downie hovers between past and present in this enjoyably offbeat travelogue.” Booklist

“Profound. A witty and intelligent spin on the spiritual-journey motif.” Kirkus Reviews

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List