Walking the Camino: A Modern Pilgrimage to Santiago

by Tony Kevin

In May 2006, armed only with a small rucksack and a staff, Tony Kevin, an overweight, sedentary, 63-year-old former diplomat, set off on an eight-week trek across Spain. But this was not just a very long walk - it was a pilgrimage.
Tony followed the Via Mozarabe and the Via de la Plata, two of the many pilgrim trails that crisscross Spain and Portugal and that all lead to a single destination. In the Middle Ages, the cathedral city of Santiago de Compostela was Europe's most famous centre of pilgrimage, and in recent years it has enjoyed a remarkable revival; every day towards noon, hundreds of hot, tired, and dusty pilgrims stream into Santiago Cathedral for the daily Pilgrim's Mass.
What drives tens of thousands of people of all nationalities and creeds to make long, exhausting walks across the cold mountains and hot tablelands of Spain, to take part finally in a medieval Christian liturgy of spiritual renewal and reconciliation with God?
Walking the Camino captures the flavour of what it was like to walk the camino, and is filled with observations and anecdotes about the nature of contemporary Spain. And because pilgrimage is such a deeply personal experience that has the potential to unlock the deepest recesses of hidden memory and conscience, it is also a profound personal meditation on the nature of modern life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Biography, Spain, Memoir, History

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Kerry Hennigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read other first hand accounts of The Way – the pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela, but they were all of the northern route that begins in France. Tony Kevin’s journey is from the south, along the Via Mozarabe and the Via de la Plata.

Undertaking the journey at the age of 63, Mr Kevin’s views of what he experiences and what he feels are tempered by decades of a career in civil service, years of which were spent on shores foreign to his native Australia. His perspective on what he sees and hears, and those he meets along The Way, comes with wisdom and sensibility as well as a refreshingly liberal spirituality.

As with all the best travel narratives, Walking the Camino is the author’s personal story as much as it is a travelogue of the towns, villages and countryside he encounters. Though it should be said that the descriptive passages of all of these are blissfully evocative.

But inevitably he opens up about his own spiritual beliefs and his inclusive views of the major religions of the world, along with his abhorrence for fanaticism wherever it is found.

I loved this book on every level – as biography, travelogue, religious dialogue and potted history, for The Way encompasses many places and reminders of Spain’s past, both dark and dazzlingly bright. It also indirectly proffers solutions for finding our own way in these troubled times.

[Sandra Heinzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm more than halfway through and still am enjoying the book. I really like the Spanish history and politics that author has included; I find it really interesting.

But what REALLY ANNOYS me is the terrible Spanish pronunciation of words!! I wish the narrator knew Spanish because as he butchers most of the names of places and words, I want to scream at him, lol!

Ok, I have now finished the book. Although Tony didn't have any mishaps on the road or any "exciting" events to recount, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The history he included, the Spanish politics, the brief telling of his own story, his reasons for the pilgrimage, and more, were very interesting to me. He was the same age I am now when he walked the Camino (63), so I really wanted to read it from the perspective of someone my age. As a Catholic myself, I could also relate to his story about his spiritual journey as a Catholic along the Camino. Also, I had not heard of the route he took, from Seville to Santiago; I only had heard of the Camino Frances, Ingles and Portuguese. He walked most of the way by himself, choosing to socialize at night with the pilgrims he met on the way during the day. I think I would prefer to walk with someone, but that's me.

As I listened to the book, I have no idea if the print version included any pictures. I would really like to see them, if there were any!

This book has rekindled my interest in reading even more travel adventure books about walking the Camino, or which I have a few. And, of course, I will watch the movie, The Way (with Martin Sheen, on Netflix), yet again - one of my favorite movies.

[Carmel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very thorough and detailed book - quite old now - about an overweight, early 60 year old Australian diplomat taking on a 1200km walk on the Spanish Camino Trail. The book is mostly about the history and politics of Spain though so if you are looking for a personal recount of the actual walk he undertook you may be disappointed. The walk and the practicalities and relationships developed along the way are of course central to the book but there is much more to it. Religion and pilgrimages undertaken over the past millennial years are discussed and compared. Probably a book for those who aren’t just interested in walking the Camino but also the history and the reasoning for undertaking such pilgrimages . Easy to listen to albeit probably a bit long ( like the walk!).

[Stelleri]

Good memoir, terrible audiobook reader who appears not to know Spanish--it's excruciating.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

former Australian diplomat documents his journey across the Spain via a less popular southern camino to Santiago

part travelogue through various Spanish regions, landscape, towns, villages and culture over a 1,000km walk

mixes in historical views of Spain, the centuries long back and forth between Christian and Muslim control, and the more recent civil war and Franco regime, and author's view on how this has influenced a culture of tolerance and a tendency against belligerence

we also get personal pilgrim perspective of a Catholic man
little on his young family, left at home for 8 weeks, it does emerge at the end that they have struggled in his absence

[Sammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really what I'd hoped it would be. Very little on the actual hike/pilgrimage, and far too much on Spanish politics and history, global warming/evil consumerism and religion. While some of those tie in with the Camino (it started off as a religious pilgrimage after all), there is far too much focus on these aspects, and very little on the day-to-day of walking the Camino.

For something very inspiring (if less informative) on the subject, I highly recommend watching Emilio Estavez's The Way.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a number of Camino books and for me I liked this book the best since the author tells you a bit of Spain's history and some tips if you are planning to walk the camino (how heavy your backpack should be, wear 2 pairs of lightweight socks, always plan ahead where your ending point will be the following day, the guidebook he used, etc). This is not a book about all the different people he met or the crazy dogs he encounters. Funny, this author did not encounter any scary dogs like in the other books I have read about the camino. I love how the author included some poems, prayers, and the speech Unamuno bravely gave after General Astray attacked Basques and Catalans by calling them "cancers in the body of the nation". He gives his own thoughts of the cities, villages, and countryside he walks through and comments on what he thinks of Spanish politics (e.g., Spain's reaction to the Madrid train bombing).

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was happy to read this Aussie's account of his pilgrimage to Santiago. Although I must say it has probably changed my romanticised idea of walking the Camino!!! Mind you Tony Kevin did choose to walk a harder version of this famous route...one that isn't as well known as the Via Frances. I found this book quite informative and practical but entertaining as well. Learning not just about the Camino but also quite a few interesting facts about Spain. I enjoyed taking this journey along the way with him.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the descriptions of Spain and the medieval history. The last few chapters I struggled with. I suspect it depends on what you're after. One can hardly complain about a book about a religious pilgrimage veering into that territory but it took a vague ambivalence about our wanderer and pushed it into somewhere else. Maybe if it had been coupled with some genuine insights and personal growth? I think many pilgrimages are by their nature selfish and somehow this one made me wonder about ethics and paternalism and patriarchy and colonialism (unintentionally and unfavourably) far more than I anticipated.

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy it, but I wouldn’t recommend it to a friend. The author calls himself patriarchal, and is correct!

Good:
Eclecticism of topics covered (politics, history, geography)
Author’s vulnerability
Genuine love of Spain and it’s regions

Bad:
Frequent commentary on young women’s bodies
Extremely forgiving (intentionally obtuse?) interpretation of Catholicism
Not much consideration of the author’s perspective as not a neutral one, or his inherent privilege

[Brian Hansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I expected, as the book title does not reflect the content. There is very little depiction of the Camino walk itself. Instead, it's highly focused on Spanish history, culture, religion and politics.

Can't recommend; if expecting a "Walking the Camino" book. The book could likely be good, if not going into with a false premise.

[Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting to read about one of the longer, less travelled routes through Spain. He covers a huge amount of Spanish history, and ruminates on the future or urbanisation, rural life, and spirituality.

[Tamsin Ramone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe a 3rd of this book was about walking the Camino, the rest was just the authors thought on politics, religion and Spanish history.

Kevin also makes some fairly significant faux pas, which are ignorant at best and racist at worst.

[Caroline Hayes · Rating 1 out of 5]

So horribly boring! It's all over the place. Quite depressing. Worse book of 2015 so far. I need to pick up another book, NOW, to get rid of the bad taste this book has left.

[Gavin Felgate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Tony Kevin's account of how he walked Spain's Camino de Santiago, from Granada to Santiago, at the age of 63. As he explains, walking the Camino is seen as a pilgrimage to many walkers, and he evens states that in a way, all walkers are pilgrims, trying to get to a specific place.

I enjoyed reading this book, as it not only provided a detailed account of his experiences, including the people he met, but the book went into detail about the history and politics of the areas he mentioned, primarily regarding the effects of the Spanish Inquisition and the Spanish Civil War. The only real issue with the political commentary was that it was easy to tell that this book was written over ten years ago, so the point when he started speculating on how Spain's 2008 election would go did feel out of date.

The author also went into great detail about his own background, including his Catholic faith, and one of the later chapters was full of anecdotes about his own family (my favourite was how his father would stand at the back of church, so he could sneak out for a milkshake).

There were occasional moments when this book felt a bit too long-winded; for example a bit where he talked a lot about the preparations he made and equipment he bought for his nine-week-long walk, but I found most of this book very engaging, and would definitely recommend it to others.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this memoir. Kevin mixed walking reflections, spiritual reflections, political reflections, and family/community reflections well in his telling of his Camino journey. The part I appreciated most were the chapters that filled in some gaps about the political history in Spain and surrounding the historical Camino pilgrimage.

Kevin chose a less-frequently-traveled route from southern Spain, and had a completely different experience from those walking the more popular routes among hundreds, or even thousands, of pilgrims walking simultaneously. It was a bit harder to engage the details of his walk because I don't anticipate walking that route. However, Kevin's personal experience on his long Camino is a thought provoking inspiration.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When my husband and I retire at 55, we are planning to walk the Camino Frances. This book was about the journey along the Camino Espana from the South to the North of Spain. While it isn't the route we intend to take, I thought it might still be interesting to read one pilgrim's journey. Parts of the book were interesting; where Tony talks about the places he passed through and the people he met along the way. However, he detoured off into Spanish politics and history too much for my liking - it felt like he didn't have enough to say and was trying to fill pages. It turned out to be quite a dull book, but it hasn't put me off wanting to walk the Camino de Santiago.

[Ben Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A greatly enjoyed read in anticipation of my own Camino with my Partner in May of this year!

We’re doing the Central Portuguese Route, so a different journey to the authors, but nonetheless it was lovely to read of the sights, feelings, thoughts, encounters and companions to get excited!

Actually really welcomed all of the historical context contrary to some reviews. The author being an Australian political diplomat gave an interesting perspective and included lots of knowledge on the colourful history of Spain so I felt learned on some of Spain’s struggles as a country.

Thoroughly reccomend!

[John Avery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a interesting (hut overlong) book about one person’s seven week journey along one of the lesser known Camino routes through Spain.
But mostly it was about the author’s political and religious views. The description of the actual journey was mostly in background.
The history of Spain was well covered but some of the political stuff went on a bit and quite simplistic eg Uk and USA should have gotten involved with the Spanish civil war.
Having walked Camino more recently it is very interesting how much it has changed since 2006. His packing list was astonishing. But it was harder to get information back then.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book but it has two major flaws. First, the narrator does an appalling job reading Spanish, which in a book with so many names, references and snippets of text in Spanish it's unforgivable. Second, the author tries to provide some historical context, however his research has so many flaws, biases and it's so anachronistic, that I had to give up. It is a shame, because I liked and wanted to hear the story of the actual walk, not his opinions on bullfighting and the reconquista.

[D'face · Rating 4 out of 5]

I walked the Camino a few years back, so it was interesting to read this account of a far less popular route and quite a devout catholic approach. I did not find any hidden depths during my pilgrimage but I certainly felt the loneliness and the physical pain, but also the sense of achievement and appreciation for the landscape and history I walked through. Recommended to those who have or plan to walk the Camino.

[Adrian Fingleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up in a second-hand bookshop and read it, partly because - at some stage - I plan to walk a part of the Camino. I enjoyed this book, it was an interesting mix of travelogue, practical advice about walking and what to bring, philosophical musing (I do not believe the author is sport of opinions), and some pen pictures of the interesting characters he met along the way. It's also written in an engaging way, which makes it an easy journey. Recommended...

[Avril · Rating 2 out of 5]

A nice read that fuelled my desire to walk the Camino, but the chapters on the walk itself were often reduced to just lists of place names and distances. I appreciated Kevin's in-depth knowledge of Spain, and the honesty of his writing, but I wouldn't go recommending this book to anyone.

[Kate Cornfoot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mostly engaging read, particularly if you're interested in the Spanish pilgrimage to Santiago. But it's a bit too history-dense for my liking and there really is only so much you can write about walking for 8+ hours each day. Overall, a pleasant read.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down, mainly because I'm sure that in the near future I will also walk the Camino. He writes in an easy style, includes a lot about history and politics which isn't perhaps what I expected, but was interesting nonetheless.

[Carolyn Gwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoiled by his social commentary -
Barely 3 stars

[Crt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has inspired me to walk the Camino myself. It is nicely written, with some wonderful descriptions of Spanish villages.

[Hilary Cockshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Anne Bryson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not finished. I found the book very “worthy” rather dry and full of historical and political titbits which caused me to fall asleep.

[Mike McBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read about the Camino Mozarabe from Grenada to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. An honest and informative account. I couldn't put it down.