Brian Lenehan

Hi,

From the 7th September, I'm going to be heading off on the Camino Frances, from Saint Jean Pied de Port in the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, in northern Spain. It's a distance of eight hundred or so kilometres through the regions of Navarra, Rioja, Castilla-Léon and Galicia, though diverse landcapes and cultures, through the home of my favourite food (tapas) to my favourite wine (Rioja).

Goethe once explained that "Europe was formed on the road to Santiago", and that succinctly describes the cultural significance of this route. It is an ancient and mystical path, a burial route for Celtic kings, a pilgrimage for European royalty (and about one-fifth of everyone else in medieval times).

This will not be a solitary walk (two hundred and fifty thousand peregrino (pilgrims) walked into Santiago de Compostela last year), but it will provide ample opportunity for solitude and reflection. Órla, my wife and companion, will be joining me from Léon to Santiago.

Please feel free to follow me as I walk this journey. Perhaps it might inspire you to do the same.

Buen Camino.

Brian