Services Offered
Publishing
Most Recent Book Title
Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It's the Pilgrimage, Not the Hike
Book Description
Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It’s the Pilgrimage, Not the Hike focuses on the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage trail that began around 820 AD. A resurrection of interest in the Camino since the 1970s has meant that more than 300,000 individuals are nowadays undertaking the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela each year. The author made the pilgrimage in 2016 via the French route from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, a journey of some 500 miles. Her book incorporates a blog and travel journal she kept during that pilgrimage. The book is also a memoir, with Ms. Connor explaining how and why she decided to make the pilgrimage. Savoring the Camino is also a practical guide to the Camino for those interested in it. While the prevailing culture of the Camino is to walk the route, Ms. Connor believes that walking is not the only way to undertake the Camino. Taking buses, taxis, or even driving are also valid ways to experience the Camino, in her opinion. She advocates for pilgrims to slow down and savor the pilgrimage by stopping in churches, cathedrals, museums, and interesting towns and cities along the route. Not everyone experiences spiritual or personal growth through the act of walking; Ms. Connor urges pilgrims to take the trip in the manner that will most connect them with their spiritual, religious, and transcendent well springs. After completing the pilgrimage, the author journeyed on to Madrid and Toledo, and there are chapters in the book covering those visits. Ms. Connor also recounts activities following the journey related to the Camino, such as writing an open letter to relevant governmental authorities in Spain and hosting a thank-you dinner in Houston for those who helped her plan and organize her pilgrimage.The book also includes a useful chapter on resources as well as an index.
Additional Book Titles
"The Baby with Three Families, Two Countries, and One Promise: An International Adoption Story"
Website #1
Website #2
Amazon Page
Facebook
Twitter
Location (city/state/country)
Houston, TX
Author bio
Julie Gianelloni Connor is the owner and editor of Bayou City Press in Houston, Texas, which focuses on travel writing, Houston, and international affairs. The Bayou City Press website (https://BayouCityPress.com) carries columns on travel and on Houston written by Julie and other authors. Julie founded Bayou City Press after spending 33 years as a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service, first with the U.S. Information Agency and later with the U.S. Department of State. She had nine overseas assignments in seven different countries: Israel (twice), Paraguay, Guatemala, Indonesia, Colombia (twice), Malaysia, and Chile. In Washington, DC, Julie worked on a variety of areas, ranging from nuclear non-proliferation to international women’s issues. She received a B.A. from Rice University (English and History), an M.A. from the University of Houston (Creative Writing), and an M.S. from the National War College (National Security Strategy). She also studied journalism at LSU. Before joining the Foreign Service, Julie worked overseas in Portugal, Spain, and England, teaching English as a second language. She has one son, James, and three cats, Halloween, Mimi, and Charles Augustus. Julie’s new book is Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It’s the Pilgrimage, not the Hike. Her book garnered No. 1 status on Amazon in two categories: new books on hiking and walking and new books on Spain and Portugal, and it won an eLit silver medal in the Travel Category. It is both a memoir and a guide to traveling the Camino through Spain. Julie also writes a blog (https://CaminoForBoomers.com) focusing on the Camino de Santiago; the blog complements her book.
Professional Speaker Topics
--The Camino de Santiago
--The U.S. Foreign Service as a Profession for Writers
--Getting into the U.S. Foreign Service
--The U.S. Foreign Service as a Profession for Writers
--Getting into the U.S. Foreign Service
Favorite Quote or Personal Motto
It's the Pilgrimage, Not the Hike
