Go Your Own Way: Following in the footsteps of Martin Sheen on the Way of St James

I'm not in the habit of personally recreating the films of Martin Sheen, but a chance viewing of "The Way" changed all that. Somewhat strangely, the touching tale of a father who treks across Spain in tribute to a son who has passed away on a pilgrimage lit a spark in me that just would not go out. That spark, a desire to follow in his footsteps on the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela, burned ever brighter in my mind until I set aside the last few weeks of my 40s to start my own Camino de Santiago. Of course, I soon discovered that the Hollywood version of The Way of St James was a little different to the real-life experience of a peregrino. For one thing, there were a lot more flies. Actually, the real Camino was more of an adventure than I could ever have dreamt. Things kept happening – things that I might never have believed if I’d seen them on screen. Here’s what happened, written as recorded at the time, in diary form.Read more