The Pilgrim of St. James in the Internet Age, Michèle Soulet

There are many pilgrims making their way to Santiago de Compostela. They set off early in the morning, fully equipped from head to toe... with bags, staffs, headwear, the attributes of the contemporary pilgrim whose design continues to evolve and surprise us. Guides and GPS have replaced the stars to lead them to the campus stellae. A spiritual journey, cultural interest, sporting feat, philosophical struggle, penitential pilgrimage, their common thread is walking, aches and blisters, their goal is the tomb of the Apostle James. Every day they advance step by step, exhausting themselves in the mountains and struggling through endless stretches of wheat fields under a scorching sun or icy rain. They then take refuge in magnificent places: abbeys, churches and chapels, or in the shade of ruined castles that dot the path. They have lunch in a meadow or a forest, and sleep in a hotel, a guesthouse, or a communal dormitory. And then the big day arrives; they gather in this hallowed cathedral, eyes misted with tears and joy, proud of their compostela, a certificate of belonging to the great family of Jacobean pilgrims...