Pilgrimage Towns and Tales: Camino France and Spain

By G R McDougall

You'll want to see St Jean Pied de Port, Bayonne and Ostabat (in France), Manjarin, Acebo, the Rioja, Santiago de Compostela and St Domingo de la Calzada (in Spain) after reading Pilgrimage Four. Each are seen as characters with extensive histories, each with colourful stories. Written with a vibrant pen, full of life, passion, and an astute and comic eye. Two other stories recall the traveller and pilgrimage experience. Included are lively descriptions of the exhausted and half-crazed tour guide.
Commentators say Pilgrimage is “beautiful poetic writing", with “inspired metaphor, written “to a breathless walking rhythm”.
The judge of the Peter Cowan Short Story Prize said of one Pilgrimage story: it’s 'An epic evocation of place. Yes, this story proves that you can produce an epic in a mere 488 words! Like all good fiction, perhaps, this piece is ultimately an investigation into how time passes and works. Energetic, almost punch-drunk writing (I mean that as a complement!): "Let the dogs and big ideas fight over the bones behind the Calle mayor". Fabulous!
Includes fifteen photographs, maps, and web links.

• Language: English
• Publisher: G R McDougall
• Release date: Jan 27, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301761609

G R McDougall

The Author was winner of the Art-In-Unusual-Places Grant (2022), a Feature Poet at the Sydney Writers Festival (2018), Balmain Institute founder and President (2007-14), and winner, Ros Spenser Short Story Prize with Patting The Dog (2017). He is author of over thirty books, including six novels, fourteen poetry, travel and short stories, and numerous photo books. Founder of Pamela Press, he is published in international magazines, with photos exhibited in eleven countries.The Author is the Camino de Santiago's most prolific author with ten eBooks and several paperbacks. He has extensive travel and teaching experience, and won Australian ecotourism, community project and literary prizes and grants. He co-created an Official NSW Bicentennial Project, the 250 km 'Great North Walk'. After many years managing Great Australian Walks, he refocused on photography, painting and storytelling, with seven novels.'Belonging' is a fictional-biography of a 'black doctor' in colonial Australia. 'Starts With C' is a murder mystery where we don't who is the murder, who has been murdered, and who's telling the story. The third novel is the acclaimed 'Knowing Simone' set in Victor Hugo's France. 'Blacksmith and Canon' is volume one of the series '1503'. Inheritance is the second volume, with volumes 3 and 4 due in 2025. In between, he wrote, Sea Voices, inspired by a WW2 event in the Pacific.Recent Awards include; Winner, Art-in-Usually-Places Grant, 2022, Wollongong City; Winner, Peter Cowan Short Story Prize, with 'Patting the Dog', Highly Commended, Peter Cowan Short Story Prize; Second, Peter Cowan Poetry Prize, and Feature Poet in the Sydney Writers festival. Included in numerous poetry and short story anthologies, Garry was Balmain Institute's president for seven years, a member of 'That Authors Collective' and 'Diverse' poetry group. He lives south of Sydney in the great and beautiful Illawarra.

Book preview

P i l g r i m a g e

Towns and Tales: Camino France and Spain

Book Four

Garry McDougall

Copyright 2013 Garry McDougall

Smashwords Second Edition 2019

License Notes

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Table of Contents

What is Pilgrimage?

Map: The Ways to Santiago de Compostela

Introduction to Book Four

Chapter 1 - To St Jean Pied de Port, Ostabat, Paye Basque, France

Chapter 2- Manjarin and Acebo, Cordillera Cantabrica, Leon, Spain

Chapter 3 - Windmill Molinaseca, Edge of Galicia, Spain

Chapter 4 - Tribute to Bermeo, Basque Spain

Chapter 5 - Never Asked, Bordeaux, Bayonne, France

Chapter 6 - Drive by Hooting, Santiago de Compostela

Chapter 7 - To St Domingo de la Calzada, Rioja region, Spain

(Winner, Glen Phillip Poetry Prize, 2013)

Chapter 8 - Venterol Bells

Chapter 9- Fontenay-le-Compte Sans Frittes The Vendee, France

Chapter 10- Well on the Way, Languedoc, France

More by the Author

List of Photographs

The Magnificent Segovia

What Other Say about Pilgrimage Stories

‘It is obvious from reading this, and other writing of yours, that you have a strong love for Spain. Belorado sounds like an interesting place, and this festival must be mind-blowing. Your descriptions brought about great imagery and I almost felt as if I was there amongst all this chaos. Loved the artwork too. A good write!’

‘Loved reading your pilgrimage books. So much background information and history. Great insight to the region.’ Dianne Turnbull, Wyong.

Tribute to Bermeo, Bermeo

‘Your near poetic style of reminiscence lets the reader feel the magic of the past history as well as the current days tourist, and parade in celebration of Bermeo. This is very nicely written and most enjoyable.’

Fanstory Reader.

‘It is a very beautiful description of a very beautiful town. It is a very vibrant description of the town and makes use of the five senses. You made me feel that that I was in Bermeo. I hope I visit the town soon.’

‘T-Three’, Fanstory

On Indifference, Los Arcos:

This isn’t a travel article at all. It’s a bold epic poem about poverty, the empty squalor of the Franco period, and a lament for lives squandered in abject boredom, a paean to lost potential. It’s magnificent. Hay que escribirlo de nuevo, esta vez en castellano.

‘Los Arcos sounds like a town that refuses to die. She has survived so much and, although indifferent, is not yet ready to give up the ghost. I sense your deep love for Los Arcos, that you see she could have a much brighter future if she