By Kathryn Lemmon

I began considering a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela after seeing a film called "The Way," which was released in 2010 and starred Martin Sheen and his son, Emilio Estevez. Early in the movie Estevez's character says, "You don't choose a life, Dad. You live one." The film made me once again wonder what drives a person to push his or her limits. Why do some sit on the sofa while others trudge up mountains or trek through jungles? A pilgrimage is a test of both body and spirit.

For months after seeing the movie an inner voice urged me to walk. Beyond religious reasons, individuals walk to Santiago as a physical challenge, to fulfill a vow and countless other motivations. They have been making a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain for an entire millennium, believing the bones of St. James rest there.

The historical significance alone is fascinating. Charlemagne and the Knights Templar are associated with the Way of St James, and what is now considered the first published travel guide was written about the pilgrimage in the 12th century. The English writer Geoffrey Chaucer and religious leaders such as St. Francis of Assisi walked. Average medieval people walked penniless, and some walked barefoot for hundreds of miles.

This pilgrimage has evolved into semiofficial routes originating from France, The Netherlands, Portugal and various regions of Spain. Those of a spiritual nature feel the journey begins the minute a person steps out of his or her front door. The Camino Frances is the best-known part. "Camino" means "way" or "road" in Spanish.

Dedicated pilgrims devote 35 to 40 days to the Camino Frances, departing from St. Jean Pied-de-Port in southern France. In the movie Sheen sets out to walk this particular path, which crosses the Pyrenees Mountains. Camino Frances continues through larger cities, including Pamplona and Leon.

Seeking clarification, church officials decided a pilgrim must walk the final 100 kilometers to receive a "compostela," or certificate of completion. For those who go by bike or horseback, more distance is required. For proof, modern pilgrims carry a paper credential to be stamped at hostels, restaurants and shops along the way.

Our start and the approximate mile marker of 100 kilometers from Santiago was a smallish town in northwest Spain called Sarria. After a comfortable six-hour train journey we got our first stamp at the Hostel de la Magdalena, located within a centuries-old monastery. Here we slept on bunk beds under ancient stone arches in a dorm-style room. In the lounge a white-haired French gentleman told me in uneven English that he was president of his local pilgrim association in Orleans, France. He and his two companions were in the process of planning a 50-day walk for his group.

Our first walking day threatened rain, but we were not deterred. The stone mile-marker on the outskirts of Sarria said "110 kilometers to Santiago," and so the test began. I was elated finally to be walking after two years of anticipation.

The pilgrim path moves through dozens of rural villages, plus an occasional larger town. Often the villages lack signage, so it isn't easy to identify one's location. "The Way" is marked with yellow arrows and stone markers. We carried map pages pulled from a guidebook for added assurance. The terrain of the final 100 kilometers varies, with a combination of rolling hills and level wooded trails.

Our plans called for an average of seven to nine miles per day for 10 days, slow by most pilgrim standards. The uphill segments were rough for me. By the time we reached family-operated Casa Morgade on Day One it was early afternoon and raining steadily. I was pushing my limits and very hungry.

We set out daily between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and walked until early afternoon. We had no advance reservations and planned to stop at whatever type of lodging was at hand.

Stacked stone buildings are the norm in this region, with some clearly abandoned. Cats, dogs, chickens and cows watched as we propelled ourselves along, our walking sticks producing the reassuring rhythm of progress. The Spanish are lovers of strong coffee, and small coffee shops provided a resting place, although to-go cups were not an option.

By Day Four we had to re-evaluate carrying our backpacks. Wise entrepreneurs have set up bag-moving services. Since it seemed more important to actually finish, we tried the service, and they never failed us.

Within Santiago suburbs we lost sight of the yellow direction signs and scallop shells in the pavement, but there's a saying that "the camino will provide." We found ourselves directly behind three Spanish pilgrims who could ask directions from the locals. One spoke English and happily translated for us, so we trailed behind them for the final 45 minutes to the cathedral.

By chance we arrived at 10 minutes to noon on a Sunday, a second camino miracle for us. A special pilgrims' Mass is held at noon, and as a solitary nun began singing, I felt a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. My pilgrimage was complete, the inner voice silent.

A highlight of the Mass is the ceremonial swinging of the massive incense burner. The task requires a group of experienced men to maneuver the ropes. I was humbled to witness such a long-standing tradition.

In yet another coincidence, the president of Spain and the prime minister of Japan were in attendance that day. We caught a glimpse of them at the end of the service as they shook hands with church officials.

Walking to Santiago de Compostela was a bucket-list journey for me, although it was far out of my comfort zone. In the days prior to our departure I kept this quote by Mark Twain in mind: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

WHEN YOU GO

For more information visit www.americanpilgrims.com, which is the website of American Pilgrims on the Camino.

(set caption) The cathedral in the city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, is the goal of pilgrims who come to this area.

Photo courtesy of the Tourism Office of Spain. (end caption)

Stone distance markers let pilgrims know how far they've come on the Camino Frances in Spain. Photo courtesy of Brett N. Anderson.

The scallop shell symbol leads modern pilgrims on the Camino Frances in Spain. Photo courtesy of the Tourism Office of Spain.

Kathryn Lemmon is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.