Santiago de Compostela, Spain - The medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of Saint James in north-western Spain, has experienced a renaissance in recent years. Tens of thousands of people now walk the "camino" to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where according to legend, theApostle James lie buried.
The idea of taking "time out" to escape from the modern rat race in search of a new meaning in life by "walking the camino" is becoming a real phenomenon.
Since 2000, the number of pilgrims has risen from 55,000 to 114,000 last year with most people (91,872) walking the main route, the Camino Frances, through the cities of Logrono, Burgos and Leon, figures by the Pilgrim Office in Santiago have shown.
Some Spanish towns appear to have been caught off guard by the influx. In May this year, pilgrims arriving in Logrono found all accommodation filled to capacity and many were forced to bed down on the cold, hard floors of churches and town halls.
The popularity of the Camino has in part been triggered by bestsellers such as Paulo Coelho's "The Pilgrimage" and the British television documentary "The Naked Pilgrim."
German comedian Hape Kerkeling's account of his camino walk, "I'm Off for a Bit, Then", has become the bestselling German non-fiction book since the end of World War II and has sold some 3 million copies sold. The English-language edition will be published next year.
Kerkeling admits that he has struck a nerve with his book which is a humorous, adventurous and spiritual description of his 800- kilometre journey from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the Pyrenees to Santiago.
The route on the main Camino Frances is well marked with yellow arrows and posts with the scallop shell. Accommodation for recognized pilgrims holding the "pilgrim's passport" is provided in albergues that are similar to youth hostels, costing between 3 and 5 euros a night.
More and more privately-run hostels and hotels along the route also cater for pilgrims. Restaurants offer special pilgrim menus for as little as seven euros including soup, main course, local wine and dessert.
However, many experienced pilgrims find the Camino Frances has become crowded by the busloads of tourists walking short stretches without the inconvenience of a heavy rucksack and simple accommodation in an albergue.
Attractive alternatives to the Camino Frances are the coastal route starting in the Basque city of Bilbao or the Camino Aragones from Oloron St. Marie in France which links up with the main route at Puenta La Reina. Both routes have strenuous mountainous stretches which required stamina but reward with spectacular scenery in parts.
After walking 500 kilometres from St Vincente de la Barquera to Santiago along the northern or coastal route, this author would not recommend the section for beginners who have never walked the camino.
Some of the routes are badly marked and it is easy to get lost in the more remote countryside. Two sections require a more than 30-kilometre hike to reach the next town for accommodation and refreshments.
But the route offers much of the mysticism, solitude and adventure sought by modern-day pilgrims.
The Camino del Norte snakes above ragged cliff tops with spectacular sea views of the Atlantic coast, diverts to busy motorways and then again passes through an old oak forest with ancient cobblestone paths.
Especially in the Galician section of the route, starting in the port city of Ribadeo, traces of the Celtic and Pagan pre-Christian influences can still be found. Symbols of the Mother Mary in a shell, found above the doors of churches and chapels, are a reminder of the Goddess Venus while the hundreds of stone crosses guarding the walls of cemeteries are said to stem from the Celtic tradition to ward off the evil.
Some legends say the Camino was also a pilgrimage route for the Celts celebrating a fertility ritual with the camino's scallop symbol dating back to this era. Some of Europe's oldest cave paintings and human remains have been found along the camino with early humans apparently having followed the milky way en route to Europe from Africa.
Whether truth or legend, it all adds to the mystique of walking on the Way of St. James. The final five kilometres from the Monto Gozo hilltop overlooking the old city of Santiago must have been an exhilarating experience for medieval pilgrims who spent months on the road fighting disease, avoiding robbery and overcoming other hardships.
