Although I am not religious in the slightest the Camino de Santiago is actually an ancient pilgrimage route though people walk it for a number of reasons, religion, sport and spirituality just three examples.
"The Way of St. James has existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times, together with Rome and Jerusalem, and a pilgrimage route on which a plenary indulgence could be earned; other major pilgrimage routes include the Via Francigena to Rome and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Legend holds that St. James's remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where he was buried on the site of what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela.
Today tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims and many other travellers set out each year from their front doorstep, or popular starting points across Europe, to make their way to Santiago de Compostela. Most travel by foot, some by bicycle, and a few travel as some of their medieval counterparts did, on horseback or by donkey (for example, the British author and humorist Tim Moore). In addition to people undertaking a religious pilgrimage, the majority are travellers and hikers who walk the route for non-religious reasons: travel, sport, or simply the challenge of weeks of walking in a foreign land. Also, many consider the experience a spiritual adventure to remove themselves from the bustle of modern life. It acts as a retreat for many modern pilgrims." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Way_of_St._James)
There are many routes to Santiago (any path to Santiago is a pilgrim's path) but the route I am taking starts from St. Jean Pied de Port which is just inside the French border. I fly out to Biarritz on Monday, get a bus to Bayonne and then a train to St. Jean. This is the bit that I am dreading the most as I don't speak a word of French and I have to navigate buses and trains. The first day of the Camino takes you over the Pyrennese and is considered the hardest day, with a lot of people over doing it and getting injured which ends their pilgrimage. I have decided to split up the walk from St. Jean to Roncesvalles (which is 15.6 miles) into two smaller manageable chunks, stopping half way to avoid over doing it. The route then travels across northern Spain and ends at Santiago.
This is a map of the route:
The route is clearly marked with sign posts which display a Scallop shell symbol which is the symbol of the Camino de Santiago.
"The scallop shell also acts as a metaphor. The grooves in the shell, which come together at a single point, represent the various routes pilgrims traveled, eventually arriving at a single destination: the tomb of James in Santiago de Compostela. The shell is also a metaphor for the pilgrim. As the waves of the ocean wash scallop shells up on the shores of Galicia, God's hand also guided the pilgrims to Santiago." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Way_of_St._James)
I also will be carrying a guide book with maps and a description of the route so there is no need to fear that I will get lost! As I said before, the greatest risk of getting lost will be whilst trying to get to St. Jean.
The Camino is quite accessible in terms of accommodation. Often quite crude and cheap, the hostels which accommodate for the Pilgrims often consist of rooms full of bunk beds. Snoring and noisy early risers are a big problem (multiple ear plugs packed) and rooms are often full of people. I am sure I read a report that there is one hostel which hosts 100 people in one room in close proximity. These are simply meant to act as a refuge for the night so pilgrims can rest and hit the road refreshed the following day.
"In Spain and France, pilgrim's hostels with beds in dormitories dot the common routes, providing overnight accommodation for pilgrims who hold a credencial (see below). In Spain this type of accommodation is called a refugio or albergue, both of which are similar to youth hostels or hostelries in the French system of gîtes d'étape.
Staying at hostels usually cost between five and nine euros per night per bed in a dormitory, although a few hostels known as donativos operate on voluntary donations. Pilgrims are usually limited to one night's accommodation and are expected to leave by eight in the morning to continue their pilgrimage.
Hostels may be run by the local parish, the local council, private owners, or pilgrims' associations. Occasionally these refugios are located in monasteries, such as the one run by monks in Samos, Spain and the one in Santiago de Compostela." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Way_of_St._James)
Once I have reached Santiago I plan on walking an extra 80km to Finisterra which was thought to be the edge of the world when the world was thought to be flat. I think that it is more of a symbolic end to the Camino as reaching the sea really draws a close to the pilgrimage. I then plan on walking up the coast to Muxia which is supposed to be a stunning walk. Once I have reached Muxia I will get a bus back to Santiago and book my plane home, unless I can find any way of prolonging my trip. I will serious consider taking on any work along the way to simply ensure that I can afford to continue walking, where after Muxia I do not know.
This is a map of the route from Santiago to Finisterra and Muxia:
"Most pilgrims carry a document called the credencial, purchased for a few euros from a Spanish tourist agency, a church on the route or from their church back home. The credencial is a pass which gives access to inexpensive, sometimes free, overnight accommodation in refugios along the trail. Also known as the "pilgrim's passport", the credencial is stamped with the official St. James stamp of each town or refugio at which the pilgrim has stayed. It provides walking pilgrims with a record of where they ate or slept, but also serves as proof to the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago that the journey is accomplished according to an official route. The stamped credencial is also necessary if the pilgrim wants to obtain a compostela, a certificate of completion of the pilgrimage.
The compostela is a certificate of accomplishment given to pilgrims on completing the Way. To earn the compostela one needs to walk a minimum of 100 km or cycle at least 200 km. In practice, for walkers, that means starting in the small city of Sarria, for it has good transportation connections via bus and rail to other places in Spain. Pilgrims arriving in Santiago de Compostela who have walked at least the last 100 km, or cycled 200 km to get there (as indicated on their credencial), are eligible for the compostela from the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago.The pilgrim passport is examined for stamps and dates. If a key stamp is missing, the compostela may be refused. The pilgrim can state whether the goal of his Camino was 'religous', 'religous and other' or just 'other'. In the case of 'other'a compostelate in Spanish is given asking for blessing of this heathen. In the other cases a compostelate in Latin is given. The Pilgrim Office of Santiago awards more than 100,000 compostelas a year to pilgrims from over 100 countries." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Way_of_St._James)
So hopefully now you know what I am attempting to do and will understand some of the terminology that I will use in my posts. I apologise for the copied information from Wikipedia but as I have previously stated, time is short. I have tried to cover everything but anything I have missed I will be sure to post.
If you want more information the following website is very useful: http://www.caminodesantiago.me.uk/
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