We like walking and also reading, rather in French but sometimes in English.
In this article, we will share with you some books in English that we have appreciated. We do this job, welcoming hikers for various reasons, mainly for sharing what we believe to be remarkable (our historical and mountainous heritage in St Jean Pied de Port) and beneficial (walking as close as possible to nature). We liked the books below because they strengthen our motivation to continue our activity despite the seasonal nature of it. We offer you a list of books on walking (to meditate) and on the history of St Jean:
Nathalie: “Shibumi” by Trevanian, a fascinating spy novel written by an American author. The action takes place between Japan and the Basque Country, two countries that the author describes very well for having lived there. Remarkable and captivating !
Nathalie and Argitxu : “The four agreements”, Don Miguel Ruiz, reedited and translated into several languages. The paperback version of this little book for personal development allows you to take it with you on your way to read it in the evening. Walking encourages reflection like this book. It therefore seems to us to fit perfectly with the spirit of the pilgrim and the hiker.
Nathalie : “10 bonnes raisons d’aller marcher”, English version “10 good reasons to go for a walk”, from Thierry Malleret and Mary Anne Malleret, 2017. The future of the human being is by walking or the benefits of walking to society. We are convinced of this!
Nathalie : “The singular pilgrim” from Rosemary Mahoney. One of our pilgrims left it at gite Ultreia and the book reviews on the last page prompted me to open this book on our “Camino”. Excellent! The north-american author recounts her experiences during various religious pilgrimages, very very interesting. The one concerning “El camino de Santiago” will give you a precise idea of the kind of feelings a pilgrim can live and the pilgrims you met. A brilliant and funny book at the same time!