num_pages: 188
description: In 1878, famed author Robert Louis Stevenson set out to explore the remote Cevennes mountains of France. The author of numerous adventure classics, Stevenson determined to travel alone, unless you count the infamous Modestine among his companions? This stubborn and manipulative pack-donkey alternately hampered and hurried Stevenson’s progress through the lovely landscape of southern France. First published in 1879, Stevenson’s account of his travels reflect his need for a journey in search of personal peace and professional escape. Though he travelled light, he carried the burdens of inspiration packed carefully away in Modestine’s pack-saddle. Although it is not remembered as being a dangerous expedition, this trip produced famous results. It was while he was lodging at the famed Trappist Monastery of Notre Dame des Neiges, that Stevenson derived the inspiration for his beloved poem, “Our Lady of the Snows.” Out of print for too long, “Travels with a Donkey” is truly a neglected travel classic.
language: English
title: Travels With a Donkey: A Journey Across France
titlecomplete: Travels With a Donkey: A Journey Across France
characters: Robert Louis Stevenson
genres: France, Biography, Adventure, Memoir, Nonfiction, Literature, Classics, Travel, 19th Century, History
ratings_count: 2415
places: The Cévennes
publisher: The Long Riders' Guild Press