A Guide

I bought a gift for my brother and myself. I got us each a copy of John Brierley's A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino Portugués. Now that some money has been actually poured out on Portugal, I guess that's solidifying the decision to take that route even more.

I've not actually read the full book yet, but have rather flipped through the pages. It looks like a good resource but the author puts notes of his personal spiritual journey at each town listing. This bothers me, because I want this to be my camino, not John Brierley's camino. Even worse, i feels to me that he actually dares to try to tell me what I should be reflecting on.

As I read it, I'm reminded by the movie I mentioned a while back, The Way. In that movie, the character are joined by a writer named "Jack, from Ireland".  Jack just happens to write guidebooks for the Camino, and has strong viewpoints what it takes to be a "true pilgrim." At one point Martin Sheen's character goes off on "Jack-ass from Ireland", calling him an arrogant boor.

It so happens the John Brierley lives in Dublin, and I can't help wondering if he's "Jack, from Ireland."

I'll know more after I finish reading the guide.