The history of the pilgrimage routes through Europe to Santiago de Compostela are covered in many books. But the gist is well covered in this extract from the WWW …According to this tradition St. James the Greater, having preached Christianity in Spain, returned to Judea and was put to death by order of Herod; his body was miraculously translated to Iria Flavia in the northwest of Spain, and later to Compostela, which town, especially during the Middle Ages, became one of the most famous places of pilgrimage in the world.

It is fair to say this story lacks credibility in many ways, but let’s not knock a good story. The winning point with many people, at the time, was that if you completed your pilgrimage you halved your time in purgatory and on holy years it was wiped out. A thousand years ago you needed a little incentive to walk 1500 k – 950miles, not to mention getting to Le Puy & getting home again. The benefits of air, bus & rail travel are inventions that have arrived only yesterday compared to the history of this route.

Today people do the journey for many reasons, and I guess in most cases reasons they could not rationally explain. But to get your ‘Compostela’ and historically  your time off in purgatory guaranteed you only need to complete the last 100k to Santiago on foot or horseback…so the reason for the rest is down to you.

The pilgrimages to Santiago were started way back in medieval times from many points in Europe, the routes tended to join together (for safety as well as companionship in four places in France>>> Paris, Vezelay, Le Puy & Arles.

The Bishop of Le Puy did the pilgrimage himself in AD951. Doing this, he starting an activity that has been going on with varying degrees of enthusiasm ever since >>> The Le Puy route is considered one of the most famous and currently has a good infrastructure to support modern day pilgrims.

The wearing of a scallop shell was and is the sign of a pilgrim to Santiago, (and also universally seen on any statue paintings of St James) although it has now become the universal sign of any pilgrim. The history of this symbol is written in many books / websites for me to take up space here. But what is true today is that the people along the route are all keen to help anyone wearing  a scallop shell.

The original Le Puy road for the pilgrims has been a movable feast over the years, depending on many factors; not least the 100 years war with the English. It is probable that a lot of the original route is now under tarmac. The French have a great series of long distance footpaths called GR’s. The GR65 is as close to the original routes as you are going to get and visits all the chapels, towns and sites on the way. When you cross over to Spain the yellow arrow takes over.

I had always wanted to go on a ‘little’ adventure of my own for a number of years. The interpretation of ‘little’ here is safe, not too demanding, the right quantities not to mention quality of booze and food and does not involve carrying, or sleeping in, a tent.

In 2000 I was planning my escape from paid employment to paid loafing (a skill I am currently developing into a higher art form) when I came across the whole Camino thing. In truth at the time I was thinking more in the terms of a good walk and the thought of a pilgrimage had not entered into my head. But like many people I met before and on the road, the lines become blurred.…. But with the long list of misdemeanours St Peter is holding for me at the pearly gates; let us not knock any extra possible opportunities that this journey might have.

Early the next year I opened up negotiations with my Leader (Joy) and  eventually had my passbook stamped to undertake the first half of the journey to Santiago… from Le Puy to St Jean Pied de Port in the Pyrenees.....when I had retired. (Although as you will see I had to add 'Plan B').... The next problem was convincing the nice people at Kodak that I really was the most dispensable person they had on their books…. and believe me I have seen a lot of dispensable people in Kodak over the years. I just needed to work out how to get to the head of the queue, at the right time.

In December 2003 I cracked the problem and overnight I was gainfully unemployed. Or as my daughter  called me at the time a 'Degenerate Bum'…a job title I have held with some pride ever since.

When you ask fellow pilgrims (or 'grims as I tend to call them ) you get a lot of different answers to the their understanding of what the word pilgrim means to them, this should come as no surprise.....you are making your own journey on your feet, in your heart and head. A pilgrimage of this type is like no other journey you will make, you meet so many kindred spirits all travelling in the same directions. The other aspect of such a journey is you will probably not meet these 'kindred spirits again' which makes the end of the journey so difficult. So far I have enjoyed the company of a lot of great and interesting people... I look at the pictures and remember the good times I had with them.

On my last training walk before my first trip, north of Reigate, on the old Pilgrims route running from Winchester to Canterbury I came across a stone circle put up to celebrate the year 2000. Each stone had quotes from each of the 200 years leading up to the millennium. I think the quote from Saint Francis of Sales summed up how I want to feel about myself “Do not wish to be anything but what you are and try and be that perfectly”. A good thought for my journey.

For more information there are many books and many articles on the WWW... the research and history is interesting in itself.