In his 1968 book “Iberia,” Pulitzer winning author James Michener describes the Camino de Santiago as “the finest journey in Spain, and one of the two or three best in the world,” lauding “landscapes of exquisite beauty.”
A pilgrimage route for at least 1,000 years, the Camino de Santiago, or St. James Way, saw its heyday during medieval times, with throngs of pilgrims plying the different paths from all parts of Europe. The routes end at Santiago de Compostela, in Northwest Spain, where legend holds that the remains of St. James are buried.
The Camino has seen the footsteps of a medley of greats such as St. Francis of Assisi, El Cid, John Adams (who in 1790 rode in reverse, sent by Congress to ask Paris for help in fending off the British), various royalty and popes, and in more recent times, Shirley MacLaine and Martin Sheen.
