Pilgrimage: Meeting France and Spain's Pilgrim Towns

By G McDougall

New travel writing at its best. This updated, revised Pilgrimage relives the pilgrim's journey, exploring its unique towns with affection and bite, including lovingly descriptions of pilgrims met along thé Way. The stories are written with a vibrant and passionate pen.
Commentators say Pilgrimage is “beautiful poetic writing", wising “inspired métaphor", and written “to a breathless walking rhythm”.
The Peter Cowan Short Story Prize judge 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 stray dogs and big ideas fight over the bones behind the Calle mayor. Fabulous!"

• Language: English
• Publisher: G McDougall
• Release date: Jan 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301340781

G 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

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Meeting France and Spain's Pilgrim Towns

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Book One

Garry McDougall

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Copyright 2014, 2018

Smashwords Second Edition

License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return toSmashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard working author.

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Layout, cover and most photographs by the author.

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Tables of Contents

What is Pilgrimage?

The Ways to Santiago de Compostela

Introduction

Chapter 1 Chains of Enchantment or, Sensuous Susan, Roncesvalles, Spain

Chapter 2 Beating Time, Belorado, Spain* Prize-winner

Chapter 3 Lost in Translation, St Domingo, Rioja region, Spain

Chapter 4 Pilgrim’s Astorga, Astorga, Spain Includes narrative and poetic versions.

Chapter 5 Marvellous Najera, Najera, Spain

Chapter 6 These Birds Have Flown, St Domingo, Rioja region, Spain

Chapter 7 Travel Alone, written in Bordeaux, France.

Chapter 8 When You’ve Got to Go, Picos Mtns, Cantabrica, Spain.

Chapter 9 My Palas de Rei

Chapter 10: Churchyard Corner, Galicia, and Shadowland.

Further Information

List of Photographs and web link

More Links -Other Book and Paperbacks

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The Many Ways to Santiago de Compostela. France, Spain and Portugal’s many Caminos de

Santiago Camino Frances shown as thick line.

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What Other Say

On Beating Time- Belorado:

'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!

Judge, Peter Cowan Short Story Prize.

'Love the line 'In the splish-splash of a Spanish winter, it reflects on....' Also liked 'the village coughs and splutters in irregular health, rubbing its wrinkled skin in leather and onions... Great job.'

'...fascinating… it makes me want to visit!' Dawn Lawrence, US musician

'This is a great story. I was able to envision myself at the festival after reading each line. Even though I've never visited this place, it felt like I was there. You have a great way with words. I look forward to reading more of your work.' Author, Mario King'

On Chains of Enchantment, Roncesvalles -

'Five stars for this good tale of weary travelers speaking of places I will never see. You have presented very well the aimless banter and recollections of their yesterdays. Good characters, good job.'

'I can't recall ever reading something that has no adverbs. Amazing.'

CLDelport, Author.

Other Comments

'Well written. Interesting indeed. It was a fun little story. Very sophisticated sentence structure, with many variations. I was amazed. I liked it very much, and will definitely recommend.'

'An amazing vignette... You gave us a great story in a flash. Adventure on a shoe string. Nice!'An amazing vignette... You gave us a great story in a flash. Adventure on a shoestring.