The Path To Rome
Hillaire Belloc
As Hillaire Belloc explains it, one fine day while walking about the town in norther France where he was born, he suddenly decided to take a pilgrimage to Rome. Not just any pilgrimage, mind you. He not only decided to walk the whole way, but he decided to make a beeline for the Holy City, doing everything possible to avoid leaving the straight path - a path across France to the Vosges Mountains, from their across Switzerland, across the Alps like Hannibal, across the Apeninnes into Italy and thence down the boot of Italy to Rome. All on foot, he vowed.
Well, he very nearly did it. He did make it to Rome, but he wound up riding on carts or in trains for about ten percent of the way. However, all the mountain travel was on foot, and he gained by it, for he constantly found himself in unexpected places, seeing unexpected things. He takes us with him all the way, sharing his heart and mind with us in the most guileless and pleasant fashion.
He was a devout, somewhat conservative Catholic, and his faith suffuses the book, but he does not proselytize, nor preach. Catholicism for him is a deeply rooted habit of mind and soul, not something to be dumped onto someone else like a load of firewood. Nor does he allow his faith to impose any load of solemnity on him. He is lighthearted, digressive, full of stories, perceptions, wisecracks, smart remarks and general playfullness. Underneath it, however, lies a will of iron; neither hunger, fatigue, lack of sleep, lack of money, lack even of decent footgear or the ability to speak the local language stops him. He is thwarted only once, and his tale of that time is thrilling.
An audiobook cannot do justice to the elegant, yet simple maps and drawings in the book. Fortunately, his discussions of them are as clear and direct as the maps and drawings themselves.
There is a reason why this book has been in print for over a hundred years, and it is a simple one: it is delightful. His journey through the heart of Europe is both a lark and a true pilgrimage, and we are his boon companions along the way.
Author - Hillaire Belloc.
Narrator - Robert Bethune.
Published Date - Thursday, 19 January 2023.
Location:
United States
Description:
As Hillaire Belloc explains it, one fine day while walking about the town in norther France where he was born, he suddenly decided to take a pilgrimage to Rome. Not just any pilgrimage, mind you. He not only decided to walk the whole way, but he decided to make a beeline for the Holy City, doing everything possible to avoid leaving the straight path - a path across France to the Vosges Mountains, from their across Switzerland, across the Alps like Hannibal, across the Apeninnes into Italy and thence down the boot of Italy to Rome. All on foot, he vowed. Well, he very nearly did it. He did make it to Rome, but he wound up riding on carts or in trains for about ten percent of the way. However, all the mountain travel was on foot, and he gained by it, for he constantly found himself in unexpected places, seeing unexpected things. He takes us with him all the way, sharing his heart and mind with us in the most guileless and pleasant fashion. He was a devout, somewhat conservative Catholic, and his faith suffuses the book, but he does not proselytize, nor preach. Catholicism for him is a deeply rooted habit of mind and soul, not something to be dumped onto someone else like a load of firewood. Nor does he allow his faith to impose any load of solemnity on him. He is lighthearted, digressive, full of stories, perceptions, wisecracks, smart remarks and general playfullness. Underneath it, however, lies a will of iron; neither hunger, fatigue, lack of sleep, lack of money, lack even of decent footgear or the ability to speak the local language stops him. He is thwarted only once, and his tale of that time is thrilling. An audiobook cannot do justice to the elegant, yet simple maps and drawings in the book. Fortunately, his discussions of them are as clear and direct as the maps and drawings themselves. There is a reason why this book has been in print for over a hundred years, and it is a simple one: it is delightful. His journey through the heart of Europe is both a lark and a true pilgrimage, and we are his boon companions along the way. Author - Hillaire Belloc. Narrator - Robert Bethune. Published Date - Thursday, 19 January 2023.
Language:
English
Chapter 1
Duration:00:05:13
Chapter 2
Duration:00:04:49
Chapter 3
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 4
Duration:00:05:01
Chapter 5
Duration:00:05:02
Chapter 6
Duration:00:05:05
Chapter 7
Duration:00:04:56
Chapter 8
Duration:00:04:53
Chapter 9
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 10
Duration:00:05:01
Chapter 11
Duration:00:05:06
Chapter 12
Duration:00:04:48
Chapter 13
Duration:00:05:09
Chapter 14
Duration:00:04:49
Chapter 15
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 16
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 17
Duration:00:05:03
Chapter 18
Duration:00:04:54
Chapter 19
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 20
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 21
Duration:00:04:55
Chapter 22
Duration:00:05:10
Chapter 23
Duration:00:04:45
Chapter 24
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 25
Duration:00:05:08
Chapter 26
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 27
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 28
Duration:00:04:57
Chapter 29
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 30
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 31
Duration:00:05:11
Chapter 32
Duration:00:04:42
Chapter 33
Duration:00:05:02
Chapter 34
Duration:00:04:57
Chapter 35
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 36
Duration:00:05:11
Chapter 37
Duration:00:04:44
Chapter 38
Duration:00:05:02
Chapter 39
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 40
Duration:00:04:55
Chapter 41
Duration:00:05:02
Chapter 42
Duration:00:05:03
Chapter 43
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 44
Duration:00:04:57
Chapter 45
Duration:00:05:03
Chapter 46
Duration:00:05:23
Chapter 47
Duration:00:04:32
Chapter 48
Duration:00:05:11
Chapter 49
Duration:00:04:45
Chapter 50
Duration:00:05:05
Chapter 51
Duration:00:04:52
Chapter 52
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 53
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 54
Duration:00:05:05
Chapter 55
Duration:00:04:56
Chapter 56
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 57
Duration:00:05:06
Chapter 58
Duration:00:04:52
Chapter 59
Duration:00:05:02
Chapter 60
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 61
Duration:00:05:03
Chapter 62
Duration:00:04:51
Chapter 63
Duration:00:05:06
Chapter 64
Duration:00:05:01
Chapter 65
Duration:00:04:49
Chapter 66
Duration:00:05:02
Chapter 67
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 68
Duration:00:05:17
Chapter 69
Duration:00:04:42
Chapter 70
Duration:00:05:08
Chapter 71
Duration:00:04:50
Chapter 72
Duration:00:05:11
Chapter 73
Duration:00:04:48
Chapter 74
Duration:00:05:01
Chapter 75
Duration:00:04:55
Chapter 76
Duration:00:05:02
Chapter 77
Duration:00:04:57
Chapter 78
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 79
Duration:00:05:01
Chapter 80
Duration:00:04:55
Chapter 81
Duration:00:05:01
Chapter 82
Duration:00:05:02
Chapter 83
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 84
Duration:00:04:54
Chapter 85
Duration:00:05:10
Chapter 86
Duration:00:05:01
Chapter 87
Duration:00:04:51
Chapter 88
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 89
Duration:00:05:01
Chapter 90
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 91
Duration:00:05:08
Chapter 92
Duration:00:04:55
Chapter 93
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 94
Duration:00:04:55
Chapter 95
Duration:00:05:05
Chapter 96
Duration:00:04:51
Chapter 97
Duration:00:04:55
Chapter 98
Duration:00:05:07
Chapter 99
Duration:00:05:01
Chapter 100
Duration:00:05:06
Chapter 101
Duration:00:04:52
Chapter 102
Duration:00:04:55
Chapter 103
Duration:00:05:24
Chapter 104
Duration:00:04:44
Chapter 105
Duration:00:04:50
Chapter 106
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 107
Duration:00:05:01
Chapter 108
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 109
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 110
Duration:00:04:56
Chapter 111
Duration:00:05:11
Chapter 112
Duration:00:04:49
Chapter 113
Duration:00:05:28
Chapter 114
Duration:00:04:29
Chapter 115
Duration:00:05:01
Chapter 116
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 117
Duration:00:05:18
Chapter 118
Duration:00:04:38
Chapter 119
Duration:00:04:55
Chapter 120
Duration:00:03:01
Chapter 121
Duration:00:00:56