For a thousand years, the principal
reason outsiders ventured into Northern Spain was to
obtain the spiritual benefits of a sacred pilgrimage.
They came from all corners of Christendom. Their destination
was the sepulcher of an Apostle of Jesus, known in New
Testament history as James the Greater. In Faith, they
trod what they believed to be a sure route to Heaven,
the Way of St. James. That was the promise of the pilgrimage.
It remains so today for legions of hikers who walk that
Way—the Way known as El Camino de Santiago.
"A Traveler’s Highway
to Heaven" adds historical and cultural meat to
the bones of the hiker’s happily convivial El
Camino experience. Of even more import, the book enables
that experience for the traveler who yearns to course
El Camino de Santiago but—whether from age or
infirmities, or perhaps with children in tow—is
physically incapable of handling the rigors of walking
the eight hundred kilometers of the Way. For others,
it turns a touristy lark between the running of the
bulls in Pamplona, and encountering St. James at Master
Mateo’s Portico de la Gloria, into a sharing of
the “after El Camino experience” that the
hiker cum pilgrim generally claims all for himself.
No matter all that, a traveler's
visit to Northern Spain need be nothing more than a
pleasant holiday spent browsing through this colorful,
historic region, meeting the people and enjoying their
mountainous countryside. The experience is especially
attractive because it escapes the crowded paths most
tourists follow. Hardly any tourists pass this way except
to visit the few major cities. They congregate in Pamplona
in July for the world famous fiesta and running of the
bulls. In season, the tour buses trundle through Santiago
and Burgos to visit their world renowned cathedrals
and landmarks recalling the legendary escapades of Santiago
Matamoros and El Cid. But such a visit, whether by a
traveler or tourist, pleasing though it may be, misses
one of the most remarkable experiences that one may
enjoy in a lifetime of travel.
