In the Middle Ages, Santiago de Compostela in north- western Spain was the No 1 centre of pilgrimage in Christendom. The first recorded pilgrims arrived in AD950 and by the 13th century more than half a million people a year trekked from across Europe to visit the grave of the apostle Saint James, whose remains had supposedly been discovered by a shepherd.
The past 20 years have seen a revival of interest in the pilgrimage, especially along the best-known path, the 500-mile Camino Francés, which crosses northern Spain from the Pyrenees across the flat central "meseta" and finally over the green hills of Galicia. In 1985 just 2,500 pilgrims walked to Santiago. Last year, the Confraternity of Saint James reported that more than 150,000 people received their "compostelas", the certificate of pilgrimage. And interest looks set to increase with the release this month of The Way, a film about an American doctor, played by Martin Sheen, who completes the route in memory of his son, killed while walking the Camino.
So is the revival of the pigrimage a sign of increased religiosity? No matter what the Catholic church might hope, I don't think so. Most people I walked with a few years ago were not practising Catholics; I started the walk as an atheist, and came back as one.
But the Camino is a fantastic antidote to our stressful lives – and a lesson in deferred gratification. You set little targets, some forced by geography, some self-imposed. So, no water until the top of the hill, no lunch until the next village, nowhere to sleep until the next refugio. My fellow pilgrim Jonna, a Finnish journalist, says: "The rhythm of walking was magic. It was such a mental relief to get away from city life, cars and noise."
You probably won't find the answers you're looking for, but after 33 days of walking (plus two rest days) I certainly ended up asking different questions. You also learn what you really need to be happy: a light rucksack, less clutter, and no blisters.
