{"product_id":"off-the-road-a-modern-day-walk-down-the-pilgrims-route-into-spain-9780743261111","title":"Off the Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down the Pilgrim's Route Into Spain","description":"\u003cb\u003eWhen Jack Hitt set out to walk the 500 miles from France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, he submitted to the rigorous traditions of Europe's oldest form of packaged tour, a pilgrimage that has been walked by millions in the history of Christendom.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eOff the Road\u003c\/i\u003e is an unforgettable exploration of the sites that people believe God once touched: the strange fortress said to contain the real secret Adam learned when he bit into the apple; the sites associated with the murderous monks known as the Knights Templar; and the places housing relics ranging from a vial of the Virgin Mary's milk to a sheet of Saint Bartholomew's skin. \u003cbr\u003e Along the way, Jack Hitt finds himself persevering by day and bunking down by night with an unlikely and colorful cast of fellow pilgrims -- a Flemish film crew, a drunken gypsy, a draconian Belgian air force officer, a man who speaks no languages, a one-legged pilgrim, and a Welsh family with a mule. \u003cbr\u003e In the day-to-day grind of walking under a hot Spanish sun, Jack Hitt and his cohorts not only find occasional good meals and dry shelter but they also stumble upon some fresh ideas about old-time zealotry and modern belief. \u003ci\u003eOff the Road\u003c\/i\u003e is an engaging and witty travel memoir of an offbeat journey through history that turns into a provocative rethinking of the past.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJack Hitt\u003c\/b\u003e is a contributing writer for \u003ci\u003eHarper's\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eGQ.\u003c\/i\u003e He also writes for \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Magazine, Outside, \u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eMother Jones, \u003c\/i\u003e and contributes frequently to public radio's \u003ci\u003eThis American Life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50598659457298,"sku":"9780743261111","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_e19c77ce-f6e6-4400-ab2a-13123923e4dd.jpg?v=1732188869","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/off-the-road-a-modern-day-walk-down-the-pilgrims-route-into-spain-9780743261111","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}