Few things capture the imagination more than the Camino de Santiago. For centuries, pilgrims have been trekking on foot, horseback, or bicycle to this sacred place. For penance, in search of healing, or to fulfill a promise to God. According to Christianity, Santiago de Compostela is the third most important pilgrimage site after Jerusalem and Rome. In this northern Spanish city, the tomb of the apostle James is believed to be located. The first guidebook, detailing the route from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago, dates back to the twelfth century. Still, this foot journey of over 780 kilometers remains by far the most popular among pilgrims, although there are also pilgrimage routes to the cathedral of Santiago along the Spanish north coast, trough Portugal, and southern Spain.
During the Covid pandemic, there was a growing realization that walking takes you further mentally. At a time when Covid rules gripped the world, a handful of people walked the famous Camino Francés to Santiago. Writer-journalist Huib Afman followed in their footsteps and walked from Lourdes to Santiago de Compostela in the summer of 2021. Intrigued by the momentum and the realization that for many modern pilgrims, the journey on foot is synonymous with a voyage of self-discovery, he portrayed fifty pilgrims in words and pictures, with his notebook and camera: an iPhone. More than two years later, Afman contacted these pilgrims again to ask how they look back on this eventful period. Did the Camino deliver what they expected? Or did it turn out differently?
From the youngest pilgrim (20) to the oldest (84), this creates a unique time document and an intriguing blueprint of real life; each age comes with its own life questions and challenges. Judge for yourself. Or rather, don’t judge and discover a parallel world.
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