Walking with a French Ass is a guide and tale of pilgrimage on the original pilgrimage trail of the St. James Way. The walk of this 1000 mile trail from Paris to Santiago is a journey through medieval Europe and 2000 years of the history of Western civilization. Being designated as a UNESCO historic treasure has helped to attract the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who each year pass over the ancient roads and bridges enroute to pray at the tomb of St. James in Santiago, Spain. Pilgrims who walk, cycle or ride a donkey have one thing in common. They are never the same after finishing. The Saint James Way is the mother of all hiking trails. There is nothing remotely comparable. Sure, one can hike the savage Rocky Mountains or the trails though the Appalachian Mountain range, but living in a tent and eating beanie weenies from a can doesn't compare to a day of medieval castles, druid caves and foie gras a la sauce de Vouvray."