L. Peat O'Neil left the Washington Post newsroom to hike alone from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea through the Pyr�穢n�穢es Mountains. She walked the French pilgrimage paths of Saint
Jacques de Compostelle near the mountain castles where the Cathar heretics hid from 13th c. Papal armies. Along the way, O'Neil sampled the local wine and collected recipes which are included
in the book. Her adventures range from a hospital stay for a broken wrist to interviews with survivors of the Nazi Occupation and a close encounter with wild boars cavorting tusk-to-tusk in a
highland field on a rainy evening. Were they playing or fighting over territory?
