Following the Milky Way

More about the book

Following the Milky Way is the story of Elyn Aviva's 500-mile-long journey on foot on the Camino de Santiago. This 1000-year-old pilgrimage road stretches from the French Pyrenees across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela, supposed tomb of St. James the Apostle. It is a journey that crosses the landscape of the soul as well as the mountains and mesetas of Spain. This book is a vivid memoir of a life-changing adventure, chance encounters, unforeseen dangers, and unexpected pleasures. Spanish history, wine, food, literature, art, architecture, and legend share equal time with the stories of pilgrims that Elyn meets along the way. Following the Milky Way is a fascinating historical document. Today, hundreds of thousands of people-including Shirley MacLaine-are going on the Camino, but Following the Milky Way describes the pilgrimage in 1982, when the Camino was nearly abandoned. This second edition includes a new introduction that explores the meaning of pilgrimage in greater detail, delves more deeply into the esoteric symbols and pre-Christian shrines that lie hidden within the Way, and provides a unique look at the changes that have occurred in the pilgrimage in recent years.