The Journey in Between

Book excerpt: El Camino is the fabled path that weaves through French and Spanish countryside for 1,000 miles to its hallowed destination at Santiago de Compostella. Hundreds attempt to walk its entirety each year: some succeed, many fail. The author walked the Camino to indulge his love for the outdoors and the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other - day after exhilarating day. Along the way he made friends with fellow pilgrims from all over the world, all travelling for their own different reasons. He was assailed by new experiences and unexpected discoveries - from the pain of blisters and extremes of temperature to encountering kleptomaniacs and fake faith healers and being threatened with arrest in Spain for 'not sleeping'. This is the story of one man's walk, but it speaks to all who see life itself as a journey and are alive to the revelations that an escape to nature can bring. As this book shows, it is rarely the start and the finish that count, but the journey in between.