Customer Reviews

Following the Milky Way: A Pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago

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This account of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, made in 1982, before the current resurgence, contains everything you need to know about history, architecture, myth and legend along the ancient route across northern Spain and more. It is a personal account, but one chock full of customs and lore, as well as facts and individual musings on the nature of pilgrimage and what drives a pilgrim to leave home and hearth to trek 500 miles to the medieval end of the world.

Elyn tells her story with humor and pathos and ask the reader to consider just what the pilgrimage route and the symbols contained therein might really mean for today's pilgrims. It is, after all, both an inner and outer journey.

The review heading is a quote from day 10, July 18, 1982 in Elyn Aviva's fascinating tapestry of trail journal and scholarly insight. This story was first published in 1989. The 2nd edition was published in 2001. Prior to the 2nd edition, the author walked the Camino again in 1997 and again in 2000.

The Camino in 1982 was a vastly different experience from the modern Camino, and for this reason the author has left the text of the body unchanged except for some editing. She has added an 18 page Introduction to the 2nd Edition where she describes some of the changes over the last twenty years and talks about the other pre Christian pilgrimage routes that some believe evolved into the Christian Camino.

I had never read the original edition, and really enjoyed the account of Elyn and her friend Bill's journey. They had never backpacked before, and started out carrying heavy packs, wearing new boots, and throughout the book I emphasized with the experience of new backpackers, gradually becoming fit. In 1982 there were few refugios compared to today, and frequently they slept under the open sky. The trail was poorly marked, sometimes non existent compared to today. Sometimes they had to hitch. Particularly in the earlier part of the trek, the local people did not look on pilgrims with favor.

Each day gets a section in the book, with a little map showing maybe a third of the entire Camino, with a little bracket showing the distance walked for the day. The first day has a similar map of the entire route - not a map for detailed info, but a simple line with place names. Day 1 starts in St. Jean Pied de Port and the book ends with Day 47 - leaving Santiago.

Anyone who has walked the Camino will appreciate this story, and anyone about to travel the route will benefit from the history included with the day to day narrative.

Modern day walkers - read this for background, but be sure to get the Confraternity of St. James The Camino Frances guide to take with you, as well as either John Brierley's guide or Davies and Cole's guide. Also, check the forums such as GoCamino and Santiagobis and websites such as backpack45.

Elyn Aviva has written an excellent book on walking the Camino. She includes the human interest angle as well as interesting info about the history, cultural aspects, and architecture. The fact that her walk was in 1982, before the Camino became the popular pilgrimage route it is now, is quite interesting. I consider this book to be a great addition to my growing library of books on this subject.

Pros: The author does mention a few historical aspects of the Camino. But, note these historical and cultural aspects can be found in other books that are better written.

Cons: Very self serving, whining, continuous complaining. The author is clearly not interested in the cultural aspects and certainly not the religious ones of the Camino. The majority of her complaints and sufferings are self imposed. The heavy drinking along with huge meals coupled with the heat and walking are a recipe for the stomach distress and heat injuries the author complains so much of. She starts her walk late in the morning and walks at the highest heat. What a fool! Furthermore there is no personal growth. Most Camino writers, even the non religious, have at least learned something about themselves. This one does not. The rhetorical questions at the moments of internal thought are insipid. Can't recommend this book there are so many other excellent books that have the same information on the Camino in them and are far more interesting to read.

I have read many books on the Camino De Santiago. The information on this book intrigued me enough to spend my money and purchase a copy. This book has been one of the hardest ones to get through. It is written as if two books were thrown together.

Con:
The personal portions of the book are painful to stomach as the author complains and whines ad nauseam, along with the endless references to the "authentic" Camino. From the beginning of the book to the end, the author whines, complains, does not believe in anything, has no real purpose for walking the Camino other than to say she did. Her only real focus is to make SURE she walks the "real" or "authentic" Camino. Very odd. The "real" Camino is the journey itself. I find myself skipping large portions of this book (the author's personal insights) as they do not add any value to the experience of reading it. I certainly don't imagine that walking 800 km is a fairy tale experience, however, an insightful book is much more profound then a journal full of rants like this one.

When you finally get to page 246 the author is suddenly MORE consumed with arriving at Compostela on August 22, then with walking the "authentic" Camino. So she takes not one but TWO taxi rides for 43 kilometers rationalizing that "...after all, the Camino is very long, and some parts of it were more authentic than others. Besides, we had run short on time." The Certificate is given to people who actually walk at least the last 100 km. Apparently she rationalizes that one, by insisting on getting her certificate. The cherry on top is her elitist attitude upon arrival in Compostela, her expectations that she was a "real" pilgrim because she walked (most of the way) and expected special treatment. The church, however, treats all visitors the same, regardless of their mode of transportation. Her lack of patience with people I found surprising, with "we had no tolerance for petty bureaucracy any more." So she lost patience on the Camino? I doubt she had any before the Camino. I am saddened by her experience. Rather than walking with eyes and heart wide open she walked with an agenda clutched tightly in her fist.

Pro:
The historical interjections are interesting and well written. I think this book would have faired much better had the author written a book with that as the focus, and perhaps ended the book with a chapter on personal experience.

I do NOT recommend this book. There is nothing to be gained from reading it. I do, however, recommend spending your hard earned money on any one of the the following books: 'My Camino', 'Pilgrimage to the End of the World', 'Confessions of a Pilgrim', and 'The Camino'. Everyone of these are much more insightful and inspiring, let alone FAR more enjoyable to read.

This is the third book I have read on the Camino and by far the best. It infuses a depth of spirituality into the Pilgrimage that is lacking in most modern accounts. it also emphasises the feminine side of nature and the Camino itself. Read it even if you never intend to do the Pilgrimage yourself. Wonderful!