5 comments about Travels with My Donkey: One Man and His Ass on a Pilgrimage to Santiago.

1. Tim Moore has taken me on some extraordinary journeys in the past, from the Tour de France to the Monopoly board via the arctic deserts of Iceland, but I found this one easily the most enjoyable. If you don't fall in love with the infuriating but utterly endearing donkey he takes with him on this Spanish pilgrimage, I'll eat my cat...



2. Moore's sense of humor and his complaints get him to the Pas de Roman to visit the Spanish Santiago Cathedral over the Pyrenees from the Atlantic Coast of France. Along the way, we are all drawn into his contacts with other, serious and not so serious pilgrims; the landscapes; the hardships of caring for this donkey animal he starts the trip with not knowing or caring much about; the incredible overnight sleeping accommocations he encounters; the meals; the brandy; the elevations; rain and shale; bridges and cobble stones. Having driven alot of the trail myself without knowing much about what it was or what I was doing, I was tied into this wonderful and hilarious story every bit of the way, enjoying his cynicism and suspicion until he reached the pinnacle of Santiago for all his cold dismissal of the energy required to make this pilgrimage. I sensed he made quite a turn by the time he reached the end of the journey but then perhaps he'd started out more committed to personal spiritual reasons for the journey than I'd understood at the beginning. I LOVED the book, his hilarious ability to laugh at himself and his circumstances, his brilliant evaluations of others' situations, his cautious thoughtful spiritual tussles along the path and most of all the subtle way he slipped in so much of the history of that great period when the Crusaders were displacing the Saracens or the Muslims. The weight of the themes sneaks in on the reader as the book develops - there are so many twists and turns that this book would be a fantastic book club or academic assignment as it calls out for interaction among readers. Would it ever become a book tape? Would it ever become a play? I feel it should have wider dissemination. Great book!



3. What possesses a completely urban Londoner to want to walk 500 miles across northern Spain... with a donkey named Shinto? Herein lies a tail, er... tale of self discovery and adventure through torrential rains (no rein puns here!) sweltering heat and encounters with religious and secular pilgrims (peregrinos, en espanol) on the Camino de Santiago. This ancient Christian pilgrimage crosses northern Spain from the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela, resting place of St. James, patron saint of Spain. On opening this wonderful book you find yourself in the company of a person and donkey you enjoy spending time with. Smart, funny and a keen observer of people, Tim Moore's humanity suffuses this book and makes you feel the value of compassion. This is also one of those books that earns you inquisitive stares in public when you laugh loudly at one or another of his unexpected observations. When you are done you can even say you learned somthing about the history of Spain. This is great light reading. - Marcos Dinnerstein, www.parlo.com



4. This book is hilarious!! I laughed out loud through out the entire book. Tim writes about his Camino de Santiago journey with a donkey starting with donkey basics - like being scarred to death of the donkey - to learning about it's basic care and feeding. From there he sets out on the journey and records the reactions of other pilgrims and of local Spanish towns people to his donkey.
   
   I have since tried to get "into" some of Tim Moore's other books. Yeah, they're funny, but it was this book that sent me over the edge laughing. If you enjoy Tim Moore's books, buy this one!!!
   
   For those of you seeking serious books about the purity of a spiritual journey while making the pilgrimage to Saint Jame's Field of Stars - there's lots of good books out there - but this one, though completely irreverent, tells it like it is/can be. I met a couple in Santiago de Compostella that had just finished the walk and their main impression of the walk was that it was a real Peyton's Place. If you are the serious type, reading this book before you go may just save you some disappointment during your own walk, or at least prepare you for the less spiritual side of the walk.



5. I read a number of books about the Camino de Santiago before I did it in July-August of 2007. They were either practical guidebooks or deeply personal memoirs. I'd begun reading "Travels With My Donkey" about two weeks prior to departing for Spain, but I didn't get past the introduction - too busy with preparations. I figured I'd read enough anyway, and I wanted to save what looked like a good book for post-Camino reflection. I'm glad I waited until after my pilgrimage to read "TWMD," because it was an excellent and uniquely humorous account that brought me right back to the Camino.
   
   Mr. Moore first became aware of the Camino when he met a pilgrim on "a small boat in Norway." As is common with those who've walked the Way, the idea settled in his mind and bloomed after a period of germination. Also like the typical pilgrim, he began doing research and making preparations for the trek. However, unlike most of us he decided to bring along a donkey. After some searching, he finally found one named Shinto and committed to his adventure. He and Shinto were trailered to Valcarlos, Spain, and commenced their trek to Santiago one step at a time.
   
   During the next forty-one days, Mr. Moore and Shinto experienced numerous adventures on the Camino. Shinto became somewhat of a focal point - most of the time for good, but sometimes for ill. The author soon discovered the difficulties involved in herding a somewhat truculent donkey, including health issues, finding enough food for both of them, and securing donkey-friendly accommodation. Even so, he persevered and eventually formed a bond with Shinto based on shared hardship.
   
   "TWMD" reminded me a lot of Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods," another humorous account of a trek along an old trail. Indeed, both books made me laugh out loud in some spots and cringe in others. However, since I was fresh off the Camino, I was actually able to identify with Mr. Moore's experiences. I loved revisiting familiar towns and fondly remembered (or no-so-fondly remembered) refugios. And I empathized with the author's trials and tribulations, such as blisters, prickly pilgrims, harsh climate conditions, and fast automobile traffic.
   
   "Travels With My Donkey" made me miss the Camino, and it also made me glad to be a peregrino. Recommended for those contemplating the Camino, pilgrims who have already walked the Way, and wanderers in general.

No comments about Frommer's Lisbon Day by Day (Frommer's Day By Day Series).

2 comments about Lodging in Spain's Monasteries.

1. The information in this reference book is very good. The text and photos are informative. The one missing link is a map or series of maps that would help the reader orient him/herself.
   
   I recommend it for adventurous travellers.



2. This is an exceptionally well presented resource on Spain's monastic lodging opportunities. I have been studying and trying to stay in monasteries in Spain for at least 10 years. This is the first resource that I believe will really help me find these preferred accommodations in Spain. I haven't used the book yet but I shall this summer. I am very optimistic.
   
   In addition the travel information about the area around the monastery is unusually good. It often gives more particular and much more interesting information than other regular guidebooks. I know several of the areas discussed well and I find that the information given is much of what I want to know. It has a different perspective that will enrich any journey.

1 comments about Karen Brown's Portugal, Revised Edition: Exceptional Places to Stay & Itineraries 2008 (Karen Brown's Portugal Charming Inns & Itineraries).

1. Good summaries of the Inns. Book lacks an overall organization that allows identification of the Inn to the travel narrative and map section. List of Inns needs page references and relative costs.

No comments about Living and Working in Spain, 7th Edition: A Survival Handbook (Living & Working in Spain).

5 comments about Knopf MapGuide: Barcelona (Knopf Mapguides).

1. We've just returned from Barcelona, having brought several pocket guides with us -- this one was the lightest to carry and had the best maps. The city is divided into six sections, each with short descriptions of several attractions and restaurants, and each with a fol-out map to that section. These maps were included metro stops, street names and the places listed, and were augmented by small color photographs. Attraction and restaurant listings include hours, prices and telephone numbers/ The front and back covers fold-out also and give general and metro information and some hotel listings. We found this little guide to be fairly useful, but particularly liked the maps.



2. I brought 5 Barcelona books with me for the trip. This was the only one I carried around throughout my stay there. Great fold out maps and color coded to easily find your destination. It's small and compact, easily fit into a coat jacket or a purse.



3. If you've never tried Knopf MapGuides, you are missing out.
   I've used them in several countries, from Russia to Italy, and I'm never disapppointed. They mark every single street so you never get lost walking between toursits stops.
   
   They are easy to use, thanks to the sections that fold out - no more struggling with big clumsy maps, or straining to read tiny maps in guide books that only label the big streets. They always include a metro map and show metro stops.
   
   The best part is, they have recommendations on everything for each area in the city: entertainment, arts, food, cafes, hotels, etc. Just leave a museum and want to grab a pastry & latte? No problem, there are 4 good choices within the area listed. Want to know a good spot for food within walking distance of your hotel? There are a dozen spots listed.
   
   In Barcelona, I found two amazing spots to eat that wouldn't have been written up anywhere else (in the second eatery they locals looked stunned when we walked in - obviously not a usual place for tourists). Other guidebooks limit the total number of write ups - with the design of the fold out map, Knopf has space for many more. Haven't eaten at a Knopf recommend place that was subpar yet, and I can't say that for my other guidebooks.
   
   The only draw back is Knopf only covers so many cities, but hopefully they'll continue to expand.



4. These are great guides. Very small on size, huge on information! These guides contain all the information that you need.



5. Best travel guide bar none. Fits your pocket or small purse.. Visually great looking.There are actual pictures .... All high recommended hotels different prices..Great maps.. hard to get lost even in Barcelona .. Great recommends for food I am a shopper.. Absolutely great & unusual shops ..None of the bad tourist gear only the styling gear.. .I had four guides to Barcelona this is the one we used every day...We do not go anywhere without this guide if there is one available for the destination I will be traveling to....

1 comments about Wallpaper City Guide: Madrid (Wallpaper City Guide Madrid).

1. Excellent resource for the design inclined traveller. A perfect compliment for the more cumbersome "Lonely Planet" style travel guides. The Wallpaper team has a great eye.

5 comments about Madrid: A Cultural and Literary Companion (Cities of the Imagination).

1. The author's knowledge and understanding of Madrileno culture, history, literature, art and psyche are impressive. She brings all these elements together to form the big picture, and the result is a potrayal of Madrid that goes deep beyond the surface. A fascinating account.



2. Part way into a year in Madrid, I found this book in a bookshop near the Puerto del Sol. Having read -- mostly with disappointment -- guidebooks of the "eat here, sleep there" variety, as well as of the "observe famous site on the left" variety, I have been absolutely entranced with this book.

   What it does is bring alive the stories of Madrid. It's not a guidebook, per se, although I think it would be an invaluable book to have on any visit to Spain. It's more a collection of stories, of anecdotes, that pull you into the actual life of the city as it is and as it was.

   A typical example: almost all guidebooks mention the Cafe Gijon, and cite it as a good place to eat where generations of Madrid literati have dined. You are left wondering, which Madrid literati, what was the appeal, and what did they do there? Rather than leave you hanging so, Elizabeth Nash guides through the society of "tertullias" (informal but somewhat stable idle discussion groups) that once flourished in these cafes, quoting from some of the novels written about this literary life, pulling up diverse quotes and recollections. By the time you are done you even know the name and the politics of the man who sells cigarettes at the stand just inside the Cafe Gijon's door.

   That's the sort of thing the book does throughout. Rather than just identify sites and give you a summary description, it takes you into tales of selected important areas of Madrid. Some are on everyone's tour itinerary, such as the Plaza Mayor and the Puerta del Sol, while others, such as the college residence hall where Dali, Bunuel and Garcia Lorca discovered each other, art and life, do not figure in the packaged tours.

   While drawing on marvellously deep and diverse sources, it's also a very good read. It moves quickly.

   I recommend it highly.




3. This little book is a delightful read: informative, well-written, and entertaining. I can't imagine a better book for anyone planning a trip to Spain.



4. I read this book prior to going on a recent trip to Madrid. While not a tourist's guide specifically, I loved the mix of history, art, literature, and local color of Madrid. An excellent read before your trip and equally fascinating to re-read after your trip to Madrid.



5. This is a well-written book about the history and culture of Madrid. I gained a better understanding of the culture of Madrid and how the Madrilenos live and think. For example, the lifestyle described centering around the cafes and the tertulias ("the gathering of people who meet regularly to converse or amuse themselves") enables you to visualize life in Madrid during the 1880's. The book is worth reading and instills a desire to learn about Spain's history and culture.

5 comments about What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim: A Midlife Misadventure on Spain's Camino de Santiago.

1. The literature on the Camino de Santiago can be divided into three categories: 1) guidebooks, 2) memoirs, and 3)travelogues which take the middle path between the other two. Jane Christmas' book is definitely a memoir. One can get some practical advice and useful hints from it to walk the Camino but, on the whole, the book is quite skimpy on topographical and historical details. Nevertheless, Jane Christmas captures well the atmosphere of the Camino which can be sometimes exhilarating, sometimes exasperating. She also has a keen eye for the phoniness so often coming up to the surface during this 780 km-long walk:
   
   "New Age crap about "needing the group", "bonding with our sisters", "connecting with each other's souls", and the "incredible magic of the Camino" began to piss me off. If I heard the word "awesome" one more time, I was going to scream." (pp. 127-128)
   
   "What the Psychic..." is also well-researched and well-edited. I found in it only two questionable statements: on page 46 it says that the Camino Frances is the longest route to Santiago while this distinction belongs to the Camino de Levante, the Via de la Plata taking the second place. On page 164 Hieronymus Bosch's triptych "The Garden of Earthly Delights" is said to be located in Bruges, Belgium, but in fact it belongs to the Prado Museum in Madrid (the Groeninge Museum in Bruges owns his triptych "The Last Judgment", somewhat similar to the right wing of "The Garden", hence probably the confusion.)
   
   These minor errors do not spoil at all Jane Christmas' book which I would like to highly recomment to all the past and future travellers on the Camino.



2. I walked the Camino, from the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela, in 2003, in part to celebrate my sixtieth birthday. I spent almost every night in an albergue, or pilgrim hostel.
   No experience of walking the Camino is typical, and every experience is valid, but I feel very unhappy at Jane's words being given such publicity, undoubtedly giving many people the idea that if they were to do the walk, they could expect to undergo her difficulties. People who choose to walk the Camino are almost all seekers, who by releasing themselves to this experience are hoping to open themselves to new understanding, new ways of thinking, and the magnificent experience of the pilgrimage.
   During my six weeks on the road I found that one of the great gifts of the Camino was being with these people, from so many backgrounds all over the world, who had chosen to walk. For the most part I chose to walk alone, but it was an extraordinary privilege to be with these people, in the albergues each morning and evening. Toward the end of my time it occurred to me that not since before I had set out had I heard a word of anger or complaint spoken. It seemed that there was a Camino culture to respect and care for all others, to be open to learn from all others, and to create and maintain peace.
   Similarly in the albergues, one was thankful for what was given. In one albergue there may be no pillows, or in another no hot water for the showers. One night along the way there were dogs barking in a field outside the albergue, dogs that continued to bark for over an hour. It was a remarkable and joyful thing to me that I never heard complaints about such things. One was thankful for everything that was given, and one figured out how to manage without those things we expect to have at home.
   There was a general recognition that everyone's Camino is different, and everyone will learn something different. I may not choose to make a Blackberry or a cell phone parts of my Camino, and I may not set as my goal to complete the Camino faster than anyone else, but it is not for me to judge the value of what others may bring with them, or what they may choose to do along the way. Certainly it is not part of the culture to label anyone as "nuts."
   Jane says that she was uncomfortable with what she called "manufactured penury," when people with plenty of money set forth to walk the Camino. I would like to remind her that the Buddha was a prince, with every luxury, before he chose to leave his home and walk in search of his way.



3. The author is a good storyteller, and like most storytellers, might be accused of exaggerating for the sake of a good story. Did I say drama queen? No, I wouldn't do that, but don't take this book too much to heart. As you enjoy the writing, realize that if you do this walk there will be some physically demanding moments, but most people get through them. The people you meet, both the other pilgrims and the locals, will be the best part of the entire experience. This is true for the author as well, but many stories come from the hard parts.
   
   Picture a woman at age fifty, divorced, the three kids out of the house, somewhat on a whim, plunging into the Camino de Santiago adventure. Word gets out about her plans via email and word of mouth, and women of similar vintage start contacting her, asking to go with her. In May of 2004 fourteen women meet in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, most strangers to each other, expecting Jane Christmas to lead them. The author's deft touch for describing the group dynamics are what make this book unique. Some of the time she is walking alone, but still feels the tug of the group.
   
   She writes about more negative encounters with locals and other pilgrims than matches my experience, or that of most accounts I have read. I don't know what to make of that. It is easy to read encounters wrong if there are cultural differences. Our experience in the first-class hotels was that they were unbelievably gracious to scruffy pilgrims. But even Jane's negative encounters are related with a wry humor that makes them a good addition to the book.
   
   I do recommend this book for entertaining reading, but be aware that she will trod on some toes, and there are those who may feel that some subjects deserve more respect. The author's style reminds me of Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail. If you enjoyed that, you are likely to enjoy this book.



4. I haven't been able to leave the Camino behind since I walked it in the summer of 2007. I chat with pilgrims on a Camino-related website, read books about the Way, and plan my next excursion to Spain (as the author indicates, the trek can be addicting, and there are a number of Caminos to be explored). A seasoned peregrina recommended "What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim," so I jumped on it. I'm glad I did, because it was a well-written account of a woman's adventure on the Camino.
   
   Jane Christmas, a fiftyish Canadian writer and PR person, got the Camino bug like so many of us do: through a seemingly random encounter that firmly lodged the notion of pilgrimage in her mind. She planned and trained for the trek, and soon had a number of other like-minded women clamoring to go along. Eventually, a stalwart bunch of die-hards flew to Europe, made their way to St. Jean Pied-de-Port, and began walking towards Santiago. Of course, things didn't quite work out as expected - or perhaps they did for the author, since the titular psychic's predictions came true for her. Ms. Christmas' adventures included conflict, a hint of danger, romance, pain, good food, bad weather, and lots of vino and coffee. Sounds like par for the Camino course.
   
   I enjoyed revisiting the Way with Ms. Christmas. I've read a number of Camino memoirs, and hers is one of the best written of the bunch. It doesn't really have a practical focus - you won't find a packing list or a how-to guide in the back. Instead, she crafts a personal account of a life stage that seems to demand introspection and reevaluation that happens to be set on a long trail in Spain. I saw many women like her on the Camino, working through marriage and vocational issues, or just getting away from their routine for a time of solitary renewal. Although I can't really endorse the back page's "wickedly funny" blurb, she does encounter - or create - some humorous situations (check out Tim Moore's book for a truly funny take on the Camino). And the ending is pretty cool.
   
   However, a couple of issues slightly marred the book for me. First, like a number of other pilgrim authors, she skipped large portions of the Camino in favor of public transportation. Some argue that everyone's Camino is equally valid, but I have a bit more respect for pilgrims who stick to the trail. Even so, such is the power of the Camino that it can profoundly affect folks who walk only a fraction of it - hence books like this one. Second, as a Canadian, she is somewhat critical of the USA. That's not bad in itself, and to her credit (and ours), she had some good encounters with a couple US citizens in Spain. However, when she said, "how long are you going to dine out on 9/11?" to an admittedly right-of-center Chicagoan, I was not impressed. Finally, she expresses a somewhat cynical view of the Camino's religious aspects, particularly in Santiago and Finisterre, but as a jaded Christian I could relate to her viewpoint.
   
   Despite the above minor dings, I enjoyed finding out "What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim." Doing the Camino was one of the greatest adventures of my life, and I'm always up for a good memoir of the Way. Recommended for all pilgrims - past, present, and potential.



5. The subtitle of this memoir is: "A Midlife Misadventure on Spain's Camino De Santiago De Compostela".
   
   Christmas was on a plane promoting her first book - The Pelee Project: One Woman's Escape from Urban Madness - when a random conversation with an air attendant sparks a decision to announce on a national televison interview her intention to walk the Camino Trail.
   
   In the Pelee Project, she left behind her job, sold her home escaped with her 10 year old daughter to a small Canadian island to get away from it all. It too is a really good read.
   
   Once the decision to celebrate her 50th birthday on the Trail is publicly announced, offers and requests pour in from other women to join her. A year and a half later, she leaves her children with her mother, meets up with a group of roughly 15 other pilgrims and heads to Spain.
   
   There has been a dearth of 'finding yourself on a pilgrimage' books lately. What I absolutely l loved about this one is the brutal honesty. Christmas does start out with ideas of wonderful epiphanies, spiritual awakenings, etcetera, but nothing goes quite as anyone envisioned. The group has nominated Jane as their leader - a position she has no interest in. There are splits in the group, personality conflicts,illness and a lot of sqabbling.
   
   When Christmas inadvertently loses the group and strikes out on her own, that's when her Camino journey begins.
   
   Where does the psychic come in? Well, before Christmas heads out, she consults a psychic, who has firm predictions about this journey. Do they come true? Does she find her truth on the Trail? I'll let you discover that.....

3 comments about Pagan Spain (P.S.).

1. This book had, says the introduction, been out of print for many years before being briefly republished several years ago. If anyone is able to purchase or obtain this work, they will find it an insightful view into a Spain still largely unknown by and officially protected from America and much of Europe. It was written in the mid-fifties after Wright had taken three journeys to that country. His argument is that Spain is still pagan: a primitive land untouched by the outside world for better or worse. On one hand, the Spanish practice an almost superstitious, certainly paternalist Catholicism which straightjackets women and suspects the few Spaniards daring to practice Protestantism. More positively, Wright finds, Spaniards have no race consciousness derived from outside sources. Wright notes that though obviously of African background, he was not discriminated against in terms of accomodation, dining, or socializing. He talks with a variety of Spaniards. Many question the Franco regime; are anticlerical and sceptical of Spanish values and history. Wright's descriptions of the often intimidating landscape, of bullfights and the celebration of Holy Week in Seville, are excellent. He maintains a basic criticism of the domination of the Church throughout.This brought adverse reaction when the work originally appeared, during an ultra-conservative era when religion was considered a bastion against communism. Wright 's sympathies for Spanish women, be they housewives, prospective brides or prostitutes, is farseeing. He understands the stereotypes women are subject to, especially in such a traditional society.Wright, an ex-communist, still had nostalgic feelings for the fledgling Spanish Republic. The Civil War is a subject only mentioned in confidence to him, so then recent was that struggle. For anyone wishing a broad-minded, well-written portrayal of a country that has fascinated many writers, "Pagan Spain" would be very worthwhile.



2. I'm a fan of Wright's but had not heard of this book. It's one of those you start reading and it just fascinates you so you can't put it down. Part travelogue, part social critique, this work of Wright's is refreshing because we see it through the eyes of someone who hasn't be educated or socialized out of believing what he sees. I've always felt that in some places Catholicism is practed in a cult-like way. Wright shows how much power the Church had and what the results were.



3. Spain fascinates me for some of the same reasons that intrigued Richard Wright when he wrote this book a few years before his untimely death. Wright ascertains that Spain is a contradiction,a holy nation that does ungodly acts, a superpower from the past trying to find its way in the modern world. Wright's main issue is exploring religion, namely Roman Catholism but along the way divulges his insights into a society plagued by it's past and present which at the time(1954)was still under Franco's influence. One of the more interesting aspects of this book is his discovery of a little book all young women must read and memorize. It turns out to be a sort of indoctrination to being "Spanish." Take an excerpt from Chapter 1, "Spain is a historical unit with a specific role to play in the world." This role is tied to religion and the conversion of all, by any means neccessary as exemplified with the conquest of the Americas; the gold and riches were just a by product of the divine nature of the conquest, a sort of earthly reward. Further on in the book destiny is defined as "all men in a common movement for salvation." In essence the belief is that Spain although no longer a superpower will be fundamental in the salvation of the world.Wright reads chapters of the book throughout his travels and shares them with the reader. Some of the Falangist concepts about Imperial Spain and how it pertains to the current state of affairs is amazing in it's ethnocentrism. The ideas from the Falangist book are worth reading this book for alone. Along his travels Wright sees the contradictions everywhere, racism, sexism and exploitation of women is rampant but sex sells, for it's price. So much for the high morality. One section is entitled " Sex , Flamenco and Prostitutuion" in which he explores this part of Spain that goes against the teachings of the church. Wright tries to live the life as regular people do and see it through their eyes. He buys a poor family a ticket to the bullfights and learns more lessons and observations on Spanish life. I found this book hard to put down and read it over a few brief settings while listening to Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" as interpreted by Miles Davis on "Sketches of Spain". The material is fascinating and makes you think about many things especially if you happen to have Spanish heritage in your veins somewhere. Highly insightful and worth reading for the perspective of an outsider. Recommended reading from high school to adult although it might offend some Catholics.