The Road to Zagora

The Road to Zagora is an unusual travelogue spanning India, Nepal, Syria, Turkey, Morocco, Peru, Equador and Wales which springs from Richard Collins' compulsion to travel after he was diagnosed with a progressive incurable disease in 2006. 'Mr Parkinson', as Collins refers to his condition, informs the narrative. Collins and his partner Flic are inveterate walkers and saw no reason to change their travel destinations, post-diagnosis. The places they visit are often mountainous, sparsely populated, subject to extremes of climate and difficult for someone with Collins' condition, and a continuing theme of the book is how he manages the combination of Parkinson's Disease and extreme travel. The reverse of that dramatic tension is an occasional, and very honest, reflection on human frailty by Collins when he fails. Collins' relationship with Flic, brought into sharp focus by these moments, is a further developing strand of narrative, and the travel sequences are interspersed with the story of how they met, and their lives together. These passages of memoir have a poignant quality as Collins recalls life pre-Parkinsons and reflects on what constitutes a life well-lived. Collins avoids sentiment or self-pity in a combination of his resolute and independent-mindedness and a robustness of writing. The intertwining of travel to exotic locations (described with a involving physicality) and memoir makes a compelling narrative of two journeys: one around the world and the other through the author's interior life. Full of humour and contemplation The Road to Zagora is a memorable journey around the world, and the self.