Read the Camino before you walk it

bclocalnews.com

Last fall, a friend and I decided to walk across Spain. The Camino de Santiago, as it is commonly known, is an ancient pilgrimage route from St. Jean Pied de Port in France, at the base of the Pyrrennes, to Santiago de Compostela, 800 km east in Spain’s Galicia region. The route was popular in medieval times, when the Catholic church set up churches, refugios (a type of basic hostel), and much of the infrastructure used by today’s pilgrims. The route has a history that predates Christianity, including Roman and Celtic wanderers.

Today, an average of 80,000 people undertake the walk annually, each with his or her own motivations, from religious and spiritual to more secular seekers of adventure and fitness.

To prepare for our journey, I found a plethora of written material on the subject. Without doubt, this simple walk through fields and forests has inspired a great many journeys of personal growth and discovery. The following is a select list of titles but many more can be found by searching your library’s catalogue under the keywords “Camino” or “Santiago de Compostela.”

• All the Good Pilgrims by Robert Ward: For me, this easygoing Toronto author most accurately captures the modern experience of walking the Camino. Ward seems to have a serious Camino addiction and weaves tales of his multiple journeys over the years into an amusing travelogue. Rather than focus on inward reflection, Ward is fascinated by the tales of the many eccentric and passionate characters he meets along the trail. Everyone on the Camino has a reason for making the pilgrimage — some heartbreaking, some humourous and all quirky.

• Travels with My Donkey: One Man and his Ass on a Pilgrimage to Santiago by Tim Moore (some editions titled Spanish Steps): Englishman Moore decides carrying a 25-pound backpack for 800 kilometres is not his idea of a holiday. In order to make the pilgrimage in an “authentic” medieval manner, he enlists an ornery French donkey named Shinto. Taking a donkey through modern Spain proves to have its own challenges; for instance, where does one house a donkey in a city? (Answer: in the bullring). Ultimately the stubborn but loyal companion teaches Moore the true meaning of walking with purpose. The audiobook version with Andrew Sachs (Fawlty Towers’ Manuel) narrating is hilarious.

• The Camino: A Journey of the Spirit by Shirley MacLaine: The actress and New Age guru’s personal journey is one that involves psychic trips to the lost city of Atlantis, reincarnation as Charlemagne’s personal advisor and talking to her stick — all this while trying to escape the ever-present Spanish paparazzi. So bad I read it twice.

• What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim by Jane Christmas: The author has a revelation one day on an airplane that she is meant to walk the Camino and then inexplicably embarks on the trip with 15 middle-aged women she barely knows. The results read more like a social experiment gone awry than a standard travelogue: “Alpha-chick syndrome had invaded our tribe.” Despite her not-so-subtle loathing for her travel companions, even grumpy Christmas manages to be touched by the relentless beauty of Spain and the fulfillment of her own accomplishment in this warts-and-all tale. Best to read after walking the Camino, so as to avoid being frightened off.

Other titles of note:

• The Pilgrimage: A Contemporary Quest for Ancient Wisdom by Paulo Coelho is a classic by the New Age master seen poking out of many a pilgrim backpack;

• The Pilgrimage to Santiago by Edwin Mullins provides an eloquent historical perspective;

• Off the Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down the Pilgrim’s Route into Spain by Jack Hitt is an eccentric and colourful retelling.

Curiosity piqued?

Walking the Camino de Santiago by Vancouver authors Bethan Davies and Ben Cole was my and many other pilgrims’ bible on the trail for planning our daily routes, finding refugios and other accommodations, and just determining when the next café might appear so we could ease tired feet. It’s so practical, it’s even printed on lightweight paper.

ONE MORE THING...

If you’re thinking of making the trek yourself, or just want to find out more about this fascinating journey, author Ben Cole will be giving a free talk and slideshow at Terry Fox Library (2470 Mary Hill Rd., Port Coquitlam) on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.

A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published every Wednesday. Anthea Goffe is community librarian at Terry Fox Library.