Jekk trid taqra dan l-artiklu bil-Malti agħfas hawn.

There are many reasons for a pilgrimage. Some do it for religious reasons, others for spiritual reasons, and many for the sheer joy of walking. Pilgrimage might seem an anachronistic activity, particularly in today’s ‘progressive’ Western world. And yet, statistics show otherwise. 

For example, over the past twenty years the number of pilgrims doing the Camino has risen from a mere 20,000 to over 300,000 per year. And it’s not just the Camino – there are many other pilgrimage routes one can take. Some take weeks, others can take a couple of hours of your life. Because for the pilgrim it is neither time nor distance that matter but intent.

I have no problems saying that a greater part of it for me is spiritual. I do not expect some great spiritual awakening – I believe that Faith is much harder work than going for a long walk. But it is the joy of rediscovering the world through one’s feet, and being thankful for it. I also wanted to engage with that most basic form of transportation, the one that pushed the human race out of Africa thousands of years ago and led us, for better or worse, to where we are today.

There are many reasons for a pilgrimage. Some do it for religious reasons, others for spiritual reasons, and many for the sheer joy of walking. Pilgrimage might seem an anachronistic activity, particularly in today’s ‘progressive’ Western world. And yet, statistics show otherwise. 

And the need to walk has never been so more pressing and more radical than it is today. As the planet faces a climactic meltdown, and as people become more and more absorbed in an unreal and isolated digital world, walking becomes a basic means of rebellion and salvation.

It is rebellious because walking defies traffic systems, and does not rely on technology or maps. It is also a source of salvation because it has negligible environmental impact and enormous health benefits, both physical and psychological. Whether it is walking alone or in company, it is ultimately about carrying your own weight in the world.

But a pilgrimage is not just any walk. It is walking with a purpose and a destination. Some might think that a pilgrimage is about penance or supplication, but it is not. It is about an act that we have almost completely forgotten in today’s world: thankfulness. Upon completing a pilgrimage, no matter how short, the feeling is one of gratitude and joy. 

But there is a dark side. 

Pilgrimages make you face the world. It forces you to face outwards and inwards. You get to meet strangers, and see dark impoverished corners of the world. Then there are moments of loneliness, where you will have to face your demons – and they do not make terribly great hiking companions. Walking makes you feel small.

I also hail from a country not exactly known for its sporting prowess – Malta is one of the laziest and fattest countries in Europe, if not the world. Rather ironic, given that the country is so small. You could cross the whole country on foot in one day.

I hope that through this simple blog you too will rediscover the joy of walking – whatever your reasons for it. I will post about routes, places & spaces, and ideas. I will also try to translate all content in Maltese as well, so it will be accessible to all.