Description

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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 the Author

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David Downie has called Paris and the Marais home since 1986. He has written for over 50 publications worldwide including "Bon Appetit, The Los Angeles Times, Town & Country Travel, The San Francisco Chronicle, " epicurious.com, and Salon.com. He is the author of the critically acclaimed "Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light, " three Terroir guides, as well as several cookbooks and crime novels. He lives with his wife, Alison Harris, a photographer.