‘The Journey in Between’ is an account of Keith ‘Fozzie’ Foskett’s 2002 walk along the Camino de Santiago de Compostella. Foskett started his 1600 km walk from Le Puy en Velay making his way to Santiago de Compostella and beyond to Finisterre – the most Westerly point of Spain.
I started this book in May 2014 and only finished it many months later not because it is a difficult read but because it is an easy and enjoyable one. I enjoyed dipping in and out as Fozzie made his way along the route taken by thousands of pilgrims since at least the 9th century. Foskett is not a Pilgrim in the conventional sense as there is no religious meaning in his Journey though his completion of it helps him realize that it is not the start or finish of any trip that is important but ‘The Journey in Between’, hence the book’s title. This realization, recounted at the end of the book is what leads him to evaluate what he wants from life and forms a framework for his later lifestyle. As Fozzie says ‘It gave me the tools, the wherewithal, the people and the insights to make sense of my life. To realise there is a journey in between, and to enjoy it’
The story of the journey is told with humor and recalls key sights, sounds (particularly the snoring of other travelers in the many refuges along the way) and fellow travelers found along the way. Foskett seems to be a lot luckier with the ladies than I but perhaps it’s the spiritual nature of the journey that unlocks this potential – he’s certainly inspired me to give it a go!
In summary an enjoyable and gentle traveller’s tale well worth getting hold of.
Glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting.
~ Fozzie