Murray Stewart lived in the Basque Country and Navarre for several months while writing this book. An excellent French and Spanish-speaker, he has also worked in Northern Spain as a business consultant and taught English in Chile and Mexico. A diehard pilgrim, he has spent many weeks and covered hundreds of kilometres slowly trekking through both the French and Spanish Basque regions, as well as Navarre, on his way to Santiago de Compostela. He has also extensively toured the western Pyrenees and Navarre by bicycle. Recently pursuing a more sedate passion for classic cars, in 2014 he bought a 1970s Seat 600 in San Sebastián.