John Comando’s book is a quick read. I bought it because the author was walking the Camino Portuguese from A Guarda at the tender age of 71 after a hip replacement.
I thought that there might be something there that I could connect with. Unfortunately, no.
John is as tourigrino. He’s an American living in Mexico who has a girlfriend and blogs from a site with a url that reads – “retirednsingle” really?
Obviously he is not a person who makes connections and this is definitely the case with his Camino. It is a walk devoid of any emotional encounters, any revelations, or anything at all entertaining.
Admittedly, the author is not Catholic, has no real commitment to the concept of pilgrimage and is walking merely for the challenge of walking, which he avoids often, taking buses when the going gets tough.
I did however enjoy his descriptions of the food he ate. He is a gourmand, with a wine making background. The book also describes in minute, if not depressing detail, the path from his starting point to Santiago.
The book is not engaging, because the author is not engaged. I’d give this one a miss.