Since the times of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, Americans have headed off to Europe on odysseys of self-improvement. Inspired by them, Bill Walker ("Skywalker") decided to undertake a 500-mile trek on El Camino de Santiago, which stretches from the Pyrenees in southern France to Santiago in Northwest Spain.
Better yet, he did it in the "Holy Year" of 2010, when 200,000 pilgrims were struggling on foot to make it to the great Gothic Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. The Camino is supposed to be a religious-spiritual pilgrimage. At Walker's side is his 18-year-old nephew, Gavin. The sharp banter between the two of them is reminiscent of the dialogue between Bill Bryson and Katz in A Walk in the Woods. Midwest Book Review calls The Best Way "a strong pick for those considering the journey themselves."
