Travelling by the Book: Camino de Santiago

In this first of a new series of articles on dream destinations, Library Assistant Michelle Moodie completes the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.

Camino Footsteps  by Kim Wells started it all. “This is the third time I’ve shelved this lovely book in a month, maybe I should take it home and have a good look at it”, I thought to myself.  

So began our awesome adventure walking the Camino de Santiago. The book so piqued my interest, I took another book home called Spanish Steps by Tim Moore. By the time the third book came home my husband, who has been eager to travel again, decided we were doing it. The trip to Spain was booked and training schedule implemented before I could really think it through.

The Camino de Santiago is an 800km medieval pilgrimage trail that starts in St Jean Pied de Port in France. It crosses the Pyrenees into Spain and meanders through Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, all the way to Santiago. The Cathedral or Compostela in Santiago is where the bones of St James are said to lie. The peak of pilgrimages was in the middle ages, when 250,000 people would do the Camino de Santiago every year. A revival has seen those numbers matched in recent times. A lot of its new popularity can be put down to a DVD called The Way by Emilio Estevez and starring Martin Sheen, especially for the American and Canadian contingent.

The idea is that you walk the trail until you’ve had enough for the day and stop at a village or town that has a pilgrim hostel or Albergue. They are basic but clean, although you can be sharing your bedroom with up to 120 other pilgrims. Most Albergues provided a pilgrim meal which was always good, large and nutritious, consisting of three courses and included a bottle of wine. Each night you found yourself seated in a league of nations - many did not speak English which was not a hindrance once you had mastered sign language. It is a spiritual as well as physical journey, immersed in history, architecture, religion and enveloped in bonds of friendship.

The Spanish people are welcoming and generous. Locals shout “Buen Camino” as you pass by. This literally means “Good Way”. Of course we tried to do our share before leaving home, and learnt some Spanish. My first attempt was to get a language CD and book from the Library, to no great success. But then Dunedin Public Libraries acquired the Mango Language database – brilliant! By the time we got to Spain I could say hello, goodbye, please, thank you, order myself a coffee, beer or wine, and ask where the toilet was or if there was a bed available. All the important bases covered.

We proudly made it to the end after 30 days of walking and received our certificate of completion. We attended the pilgrim mass at the Compostela and watched as the huge fumiere swung backwards and forwards high above our heads aided by eight monks pulling on massive ropes. A fitting end to an amazing journey. We then had to say goodbye to the friends that we had shared our meals, bunks, blisters and experiences with. Never to be forgotten.

So, be careful what book you pick up at the Library, you never know where it might lead!

Buen Camino
Michelle Moodie  |  Library Assistant, Information Services


My Research  (all available from Dunedin Public Libraries):

Camino Footsteps. Kim Wells 
The Way. Emilio Estevez 
A Slow Walk Across Spain. Karen Manwaring  
Spanish Steps. Tim Moore  
Living Spanish. (Language CD)
Lonely Planet Spain.
The Pilgrimage. Paulo Coelho
Walk in a Relaxed Manner. Joyce Rupp
The Templars. Michael Haag
Unholy Pilgrims. Tom Trumble
Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Sergi Ramis
A Food Lover’s Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Dee Nolan
Mango Language Databases. (under Digital Resources on the Libraries’ website)
www.csj.org.uk (recommended website)
The Camino. Shirley MacLaine