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The gathering place : winter pilgrimage through changing times Cover Image Book Book

The gathering place : winter pilgrimage through changing times / Mary Colwell.

Colwell, Mary, (author.).

Summary:

"Mary Colwell makes a 500-mile solo pilgrimage along the Camino Francés, winding through forests, mountains, farmland, industrial sprawls and places of worship, weaving her experiences of the Camino with natural history, spirituality and modern environmentalism. Pilgrims have always walked in times of upheaval, pitching themselves against weather, hunger, thirst and sometimes pain as they tread the paths their ancestors followed before them. In The Gathering Place, author, nature campaigner and veteran solo walker Mary Colwell undertakes a 500-mile pilgrimage along the Camino Francés in northern Spain at a unique moment in history--a time of pandemic, profound political change, and a climate and biodiversity emergency. In a typical year, more than 300,000 people walk this route or part of it, but in between lockdowns in 2020, Mary was virtually alone. The modern world weaves in and out of the Camino's worn trackway, providing a focus for contemplation and a place where memories and experiences can gather. There are times of intense spirituality, meetings with a demon slayer, strange goings-on and magical tales, and the constant backdrop of nature with all its complexity and wonder. In this delightful book, Mary's winter pilgrimage weaves a personal tale with a walk that millions have undertaken over the centuries. The Gathering Place is a beautiful, thoughtful and, at times, humorous journey of both body and soul."-- Publisher's website.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9781399400541 (hardcover)
  • Physical Description: 256 pages : map ; 23 cm
  • Publisher: London : Bloomsbury Wildlife, 2023.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references and index.

Search for related items by subject

Subject: Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages > Camino de Santiago de Compostela.
Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages > France.
Natural history > Camino de Santiago de Compostela.
Natural history > France.
Camino de Santiago de Compostela > Description and travel.
France > Description and travel.
Genre: Biographies.
Personal narratives.

Available copies

  • 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Lakeshore Branch 914.611 Col 31681010328409 NONFIC Available -
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  • McMillan Palgrave
    Mary Colwell makes a 500-mile solo pilgrimage along the Camino Francés, winding through forests, mountains, farmland, industrial sprawls and places of worship weaving her experiences of the Camino with natural history, spirituality and modern environmentalism.
  • McMillan Palgrave

    SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024

    'Deeply poetic.' CAROLINE LUCAS MP
    'A masterpiece of storytelling.' NICK MAYHEW-SMITH
    'Mary Colwell is a candle of open-minded curiosity.' PATRICK LAURIE
    'An unforgettable story.' MICHAEL MCCARTHY

    -

    Mary Colwell makes a solo pilgrimage along the Camino Francés winding through forests, mountains, farmland, industrial sprawls and places of worship.

    Pilgrims have always walked in times of upheaval, pitching themselves against weather, hunger, thirst and sometimes pain as they tread the paths their ancestors once followed. In the winter of 2020, author, nature campaigner and veteran solo walker Mary Colwell walked a 500-mile pilgrimage along the Camino Francés in northern Spain.

    In a typical year, many thousands of people walk this route, but Mary had it virtually to herself at a unique historical moment – a time of profound political change, escalating climate and biodiversity emergencies and global pandemic.

    The modern world weaves in and out of the Camino's worn trackway, providing a focus for contemplation and a place for memories and experiences to gather. In her delightful book, Mary weaves experiences from her solo winter pilgrimage with stories from a walk millions have undertaken over the centuries. Her thoughtful and, at times, humorous journey of body and soul includes moments of intense spirituality, meetings with a demon slayer, strange goings-on and magical tales, and Mary's exquisite descriptions of the constant backdrop of nature in all its complexity and wonder.

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