This
book helped me to prepare for this amazing but long journey that millions of
pilgrims walked over the past one thousand years. The other, much older book is
THE PILGRIM'S GUIDE.It is a medieval book that still is useful to those who
want to get ready for the walk. Conrad Rudolph was inspired by the
"guide" and wrote his book about his personal journey. My personal
journey is written here and it is meant to celebrate the walk with my two
friends Andy Moffat and Hoshy Afzalan.
What is a
pilgrimage?
From
Tibetan Buddhists at Jokang to Muslims at Mecca for the hajj, pilgrims across
faiths and cultures travel thousands of miles - often by foot - to reach holy
sites. Such journeys are considered proof of ultimate devotion, the most
important act of an individual's life. The intense mystical and physical
aspects of pilgrimages have recently sparked a modern revival, leading
travelers in search of spiritual growth and physical challenge to embark on
these sacred adventures. Pilgrimage to the End of the World takes the reader,
via Conrad Rudolph's able eyes and feet, to the holy site of Santiago de
Compostela, believed to be the burial place of the apostle James. Discovered
around AD 812, it became one of the most important pilgrimage destinations for
Westerners (after Rome and Jerusalem) and has recently received an influx of
renewed attention since being named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today it is
the second most popular Catholic pilgrimage center, having been visited by
Francis of Assisi and Pope John Paul II, among others. Rudolph made this
passage himself, traveling the two and a half months and one thousand miles
along the ancient pilgrimage route from Le Puy, in south-central France, to
Santiago, Spain. Offering his perspective as a medieval art historian as well
as a veteran traveler, Rudolph melds the ancient and the contemporary, the
spiritual and the physical, in a chronicle of his travels to this captivating
place. From anecdotes to travel tips for "the wise pilgrim" (routes
to take, physical training required, what to eat, where to stay, what to bring,
and even recommendations of other publications), this book is at once travel
guide, literary work, historical study, and memoir. Sincerely and engagingly
written, it will appeal to travelers, religious scholars, and historians - and
will have you wanting to embark for Spain as you close it.
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