1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:06,280 For centuries, pilgrimage was one of the greatest adventures. 2 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:10,560 Epic journeys around the country... 3 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:17,000 You're going the wrong way. This is the Pilgrim's Way to Canterbury! 4 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:18,240 ..and across the world! 5 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:30,960 'I'll be retracing the steps of our ancestors.' 6 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:34,360 Oh! 7 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:40,400 It's the spot where Jesus is said to have been born. 8 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:44,200 'Exploring the hidden...' 9 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,480 Some people might think this is quite macabre. 10 00:00:48,480 --> 00:00:50,920 '..and the darker side of pilgrimage.' 11 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,760 What this gives a sense of is the scale of prostitution. 12 00:00:55,760 --> 00:01:00,240 And discovering why so many modern pilgrims are taking to the road. 13 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:02,960 Come on, now, that was incredible! 14 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:08,480 My journey has taken me from the north of England to Canterbury. 15 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:10,120 On this leg, I'm travelling through 16 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,360 France into northern Spain, Switzerland and on to Rome. 17 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:15,680 Rome! 18 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:21,120 Then I'll journey east into Turkey, across the Mediterranean 19 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:25,120 into the Holy Land, to my final destination...Jerusalem. 20 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:30,280 It's a gobsmacker. It's a breath-taker-awayer. 21 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,880 I was close to the coast in northern France. 22 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,320 For centuries, pilgrims from the British Isles have arrived here 23 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:54,840 on the mainland of Europe, 24 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,240 and begun epic treks across the Continent. 25 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:05,720 They went on arduous journeys in search of shrines 26 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,640 and holy sites, along well-trodden paths. 27 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,040 I do LOVE the simple act of walking. 28 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:16,840 Much underrated now, when we can 29 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,320 all just jump in our cars and go anywhere. 30 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:25,400 One foot in front of the other, the rhythm soon emerges. 31 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:31,400 Many British and European pilgrims were inspired by religious devotion, 32 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:35,720 but some were also looking for excitement, romance and adventure. 33 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:38,840 In the 9th century, priests were criticised for going on pilgrimage 34 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:40,080 just to escape their duties. 35 00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:44,400 In the 13th century, a French bishop complained people were 36 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,560 going on pilgrimage out of mere curiosity and the love of novelty. 37 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,000 They weren't so unlike us. 38 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,120 The thrill of travelling in foreign lands still draws people 39 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:56,920 to ancient pilgrim routes today. 40 00:02:56,920 --> 00:02:58,800 I met up with Ian Broderick 41 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:02,000 who's walked thousands of miles across the Continent. 42 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,680 I've walked along this coast to Rome and Jerusalem. 43 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:07,880 You've walked to Jerusalem?! 44 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:09,880 I have, indeed. 45 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:13,600 My goodness. That's... I find that very inspiring. 46 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,720 Yes, surprising, isn't it? SIMON LAUGHS 47 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,960 When you go on your epic walks, 48 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:25,520 are you going for reasons of piety and devotion 49 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:27,560 or for adventure as well? 50 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,560 To define pilgrimage is a very complicated thing. 51 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:31,760 It can be many things, 52 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:36,800 and the modern pilgrim isn't a purely devotional Christian pilgrim. 53 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:40,960 We walk with more intention of discovery. 54 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:45,000 A lot of people say that pilgrimage mimics life. It's difficult, 55 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,680 it's tiring and there are events that surprise us, 56 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,560 but the thing that I think surprises a lot of people 57 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,880 is HOW they are on a pilgrimage and what happens to them. 58 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:57,400 There's absolutely no hiding place on a pilgrimage 59 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,080 if you're honest with yourself. 60 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,360 Because you're alone with your thoughts and your...? 61 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,560 And everything. Your emotions, aspirations and hopes. 62 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,880 It's all there while you're walking. It unfolds with you. 63 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,760 I found Ian and what he's done really inspiring. 64 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:20,600 I think most people - 65 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,160 if they'd heard there's someone who's walked to Jerusalem - 66 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,320 would think they're completely bonkers, 67 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:26,680 but, of course, Ian's right. 68 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:32,120 Travelling over land on foot is by far the most exciting 69 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:34,200 and interesting and memorable way 70 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,680 to engage with a country and a landscape. 71 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:42,120 He has had experience and racked up memories the like of which 72 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,960 most people can't even begin to imagine. 73 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:56,520 The 500 years up to the early 16th century are considered 74 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:58,840 the golden age of pilgrimage in Europe. 75 00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:02,040 In some years, a fifth of the population of the Continent 76 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,440 was either on pilgrimage or directly involved 77 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:06,640 in the industry of inns and churches and hostels 78 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:08,520 that sprung up around it. 79 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:11,520 As pilgrim numbers increased, 80 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,320 villages near popular shrines developed into towns. 81 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,040 Pilgrimage helped to shape Europe. 82 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:22,920 I've reached the small town of Saint-Omer, 83 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,160 which is probably one of the first places 84 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,360 that British pilgrims coming to France would have arrived in. 85 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:31,400 They'd have headed for the cathedral. 86 00:05:33,840 --> 00:05:36,600 The town of Saint-Omer is just 30 miles inland 87 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,280 from the English Channel. 88 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,560 I followed in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims, who would have 89 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,880 marked their journeys with regular stops for prayers along the way. 90 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,640 HE GASPS 91 00:05:57,280 --> 00:06:00,160 (There are three people here praying.) 92 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,240 The cathedral was built and added to 93 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,560 between the 13th and 16th centuries. 94 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:13,640 It's since survived the ravages of war and revolution 95 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,720 and remains a fairly spectacular bit of Gothic architecture. 96 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:28,720 There is something awe-inspiring about... 97 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,520 cathedrals on a scale like this. 98 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:35,520 But cathedrals needed to make sure visitors kept coming. 99 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:43,200 A church like this would have really benefited from advertising 100 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,840 the potential and power of its relic. 101 00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:49,840 Now a relic would be a bit of a saint or even a bit of cloth 102 00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:51,880 worn by a saint. 103 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,120 A church wanted to have one that people believed in 104 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:56,560 because if they believed in it, 105 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:00,040 then they would travel a great distance to witness it, 106 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,840 to try and touch it, and, of course, pilgrims meant money. 107 00:07:03,840 --> 00:07:07,440 It meant money for the upkeep of the church, but also the wealth 108 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:11,040 and prosperity of the community around it, so relics had 109 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,720 an enormous religious power, but also an economic power as well. 110 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:19,400 The relic here is the tomb of Saint Erkembode, 111 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:23,280 a 7th century Irish monk who became the bishop of the area. 112 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,160 He spent much of his time travelling huge distances on foot 113 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:27,920 helping the poor. 114 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:31,520 By the end of his life, his devotion had left him unable to walk. 115 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:33,720 He became the patron saint of children who have 116 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,520 difficulties in walking, and pilgrims came here hoping for cures. 117 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:39,440 To my surprise, they still do. 118 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:44,440 There's a prayer here. It says, "Pray for our little baby." 119 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:47,840 He's five-years-old. He's not well. 120 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:51,120 He has to have surgery soon on his legs. 121 00:07:57,240 --> 00:07:59,640 I've got a two-year-old son. 122 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:03,960 He has...shoes that are of a similar size to this. 123 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:05,280 I find it almost... 124 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:08,760 It is heartbreaking to see this. 125 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:15,600 And I know that if he had a problem, there is nothing I would not do. 126 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:17,800 There would be no lengths I wouldn't go to. 127 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:21,120 No God I wouldn't pray to... 128 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,040 to try and get help for him. 129 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,560 I can almost sense the desperation 130 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,200 that accompanies the placing of these shoes. 131 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:35,960 We cling to hope at difficult times. 132 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:44,880 And I sense that's what a lot of these shoes signify. 133 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:56,680 We're speeding across France. It's such a lovely way to travel. 134 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:07,760 Got a little map which shows modern pilgrimage routes across Europe, 135 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,520 but they're all based on ancient routes... 136 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,920 ..and what I find really fascinating is just how they form 137 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:19,240 an almost web across the Continent. 138 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:28,000 The pilgrimage routes across Europe became our major routes 139 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:29,760 and motorways today. 140 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:33,720 In Western Europe there are now believed to be 141 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,280 more than 6,000 pilgrimage sites. 142 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,800 They attract tens of millions of visitors every year, 143 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:40,840 helping to drive tourism and travel. 144 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:45,000 I was heading towards a Spanish town that, by the early 12th century, 145 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,280 ranked alongside Rome and even Jerusalem 146 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:49,120 as one of the holiest places on Earth. 147 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:54,080 To get there, pilgrims followed an ancient route known as the Camino. 148 00:09:55,680 --> 00:09:58,640 It stretches over 500 miles. 149 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,040 Starting in France, it climbs over the Pyrenees, winds through 150 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:06,320 northern Spain, and finishes in the Holy City of Santiago de Compostela. 151 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,240 I arrived in the French border town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, 152 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:15,400 bustling with pilgrims preparing for their epic trek 153 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,360 along the Camino route to Santiago. 154 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:25,040 It's quite ironic, really, how a town like this now makes 155 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:29,760 such a living off the new pilgrims who aren't just tourists, 156 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:34,080 I suppose, they are adventure hikers in many respects. 157 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:37,280 Travelling has never been easier, 158 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:40,000 but the Camino is still drawing people from across the world, 159 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:44,200 who want to make the journey by foot the old-fashioned way. 160 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:49,160 It also seems to attract a certain hardy and determined type. 161 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,120 I bumped into Lorna Jeanne, 162 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,680 who as a child was caught in a house fire in her home. 163 00:10:53,680 --> 00:10:55,720 Yeah, my parents... 164 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:59,560 The house blew up and I was trapped inside, but... 165 00:10:59,560 --> 00:11:01,600 Have you had many operations? 166 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:06,440 Oh, yeah. In the first nine months, 72. They lost count after that. 167 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,600 72 operations? In the first nine months. 168 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:13,200 That's the first nine... And do you still have to have surgeries? 169 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:14,680 I should, but I don't... 170 00:11:14,680 --> 00:11:17,160 I don't want to take the time out to be laid up. 171 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:21,280 The time out of life? Yeah. I don't let anything get in my way. 172 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:23,440 Just look out, here I come! SHE LAUGHS 173 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:28,400 The Camino has become one of the most popular long distance 174 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:30,440 pilgrimage routes in the world. 175 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:33,400 Nearly 200,000 hikers and bikers 176 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:36,880 completed the 500-mile route in 2012 alone. 177 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:40,400 Don't let the Toytown train deceive you. 178 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:44,560 The rest of the walk to Santiago de Compostelo 179 00:11:44,560 --> 00:11:47,640 won't be...a theme park ride. 180 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:50,840 It's arduous, it's a tough walk. 181 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:59,200 We didn't have time for me to trek the entire route, 182 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,280 which can take a month to six weeks, 183 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,200 but I was able to get a real sense of the journey, 184 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,400 which ultimately leads to a shrine 185 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,800 dedicated to one of the 12 apostles of Jesus. 186 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:14,440 In the 9th century, a Spanish bishop made the rather surprising 187 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:16,000 announcement that the remains of 188 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,440 St James had been found in what's now Santiago de Compostela. 189 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:23,240 Countless pilgrims have since walked this way. 190 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:27,480 Just look at the wind playing across the field here. 191 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,680 Most medieval Christians believed their place in heaven 192 00:12:33,680 --> 00:12:36,800 would be secured if they embarked on journeys of endurance, 193 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:38,320 suffering and sacrifice. 194 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:45,320 Look at the countryside here that you walk through. 195 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,960 It doesn't entirely strike me as penance. 196 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:56,720 By the 13th century, around half a million pilgrims a year 197 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,000 were walking to Santiago. 198 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,800 An astonishing figure when the entire population of Europe 199 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:03,760 was little more than 70 million. 200 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:07,560 The economic benefits to communities along the route were enormous. 201 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:09,200 Pilgrimage wasn't cheap. 202 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:12,720 There was food, donations, and places to stay to be paid for. 203 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:14,400 Most travellers had to pay tolls, 204 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:17,840 but the pilgrims were supposed to be exempt. 205 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:21,240 It was a system that didn't always work as it was supposed to, 206 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:26,360 so sometimes merchants pretended to be pilgrims, and sometimes pilgrims 207 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:29,560 were unlawfully charged when they should have been allowed to travel 208 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:33,560 for free, but there was a system, even if sometimes it broke down. 209 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:39,440 This is the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, 210 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:41,840 which developed to cater for pilgrims. 211 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:45,200 The cathedral adopted a local legend as a real miracle. 212 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:48,120 Even today, it encourages pilgrims in through the doors. 213 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:54,560 The eye is initially drawn to this incredible shrine here. 214 00:13:54,560 --> 00:13:56,680 A vision in gold. 215 00:13:56,680 --> 00:13:58,280 But in reality, 216 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:01,560 most people come here to have a look at this over here. 217 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,120 COCKEREL CROWS 218 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:07,200 Chickens! 219 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:15,560 This is a bit bonkers. 220 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,200 There is a long story behind this. 221 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:23,840 Basically, a young man was unjustly hung 222 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,000 and even though he was still swinging 223 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:29,560 with his head in the noose, his parents realised he was still alive 224 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:32,760 and they ran to see the local judge and said, 225 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:36,320 "Our son was wrongly hanged and he's still alive", and the judge said 226 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:41,720 "Nonsense! Your son is no more alive than this roast chicken that I'm eating here." 227 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:43,880 At which point, the chicken came back to life, 228 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:46,600 jumped up and walked around on the table. 229 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:48,760 COCKEREL CROWS 230 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:52,360 It's not a story I really like actually, 231 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:55,720 because I tend to think of our ancestors as being not that 232 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:58,160 dissimilar from us, and perhaps being a bit wise 233 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:02,880 and cynical as well, but this story suggests they'd believe anything. 234 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:13,240 It is very relevant to pilgrimage in the spreading of stories. 235 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:19,480 It does suggest to me that however unbelievable a tale might be, 236 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:24,320 if it has strong religious tones to it, 237 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:28,040 then a cathedral will stick with it, go with it, 238 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:30,680 and make of it as much as they can. 239 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:42,760 Camino! 240 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:49,600 By the 16th century, the Camino was in decline, 241 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:52,400 caused partly by outbreaks of disease and war 242 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,000 and the rise of Protestant Christianity, 243 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,120 which was opposed to pilgrimage. 244 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:00,480 But in the last 30 years, the Camino's been revived. 245 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:03,080 Travellers have increased 100-fold. 246 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:05,440 How much weight are you carrying on there? 247 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:08,160 I think maybe 15 with the water. 248 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:11,480 15 kilograms? Yeah. How much is Julie carrying? 249 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:12,520 Maybe two? 250 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:14,280 THEY LAUGH 251 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:17,960 I met an Australian couple, Julie and Owen, 252 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:20,160 who were ten days into their Camino. 253 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:25,320 It's a unique way to see a country. 254 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:27,760 The fact that it happens over a span of days, 255 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:30,840 it gives you a really different sort of outlook on it. 256 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:32,320 It's amazing. 257 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:35,120 Are you both people of faith? 258 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:37,240 No, it's secular. 259 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:40,280 It's a bit of a self discovery and a kind of a... 260 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:45,000 a...you know, relationship exercise in a way. 261 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:48,680 I don't want to be too cheeky, but what do you mean? 262 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:49,760 I don't know. 263 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,400 You know, you're with somebody all day, every day, 264 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:56,320 and often completely isolated. 265 00:16:58,000 --> 00:16:59,600 You know, and it's... 266 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:01,480 I guess when you've reached your... 267 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:06,040 a bit of a pain threshold, you can get just a little bit testy, 268 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,920 but that's when the patience needs to come in. 269 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:12,440 Yeah, and just go OK, it's all right, we're not on the schedule. 270 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,360 We can rest if we need to. 271 00:17:14,360 --> 00:17:17,360 Walk with someone and you really, er, 272 00:17:17,360 --> 00:17:20,840 you learn a lot about them and yourself. Mmm. 273 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:22,560 For better or worse. Yep. 274 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:36,400 Walking the Camino is about more than just putting one foot 275 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:40,360 in front of the other, setting a target and reaching the destination. 276 00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:46,480 The simple act of walking for hours, even days on end, 277 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,440 gives you something we don't often get in the 21st century - 278 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:50,840 a time to reflect. 279 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,960 I suppose the most frightening thing for me about it is that 280 00:17:56,960 --> 00:18:00,560 you are left alone with your thoughts in many cases. 281 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:06,200 And personally, I find that frightening. 282 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:09,040 It's not that I've got demons in my mind. 283 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:12,080 It's just so many things to think about. 284 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:15,080 So many life issues, 285 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:18,440 so many challenges I'll start to dwell on. 286 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:23,600 We occupy ourselves so much now to try and 287 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:27,640 perhaps avoid considering aspects of life like that. 288 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:31,120 We separate ourselves off from having to think about those 289 00:18:31,120 --> 00:18:34,840 sort of things, and on a walk like this, on a pilgrimage, 290 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:37,360 on a long walk, you're confronted by them. 291 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:48,560 Around half those walking the Camino are no longer religious pilgrims. 292 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:52,040 At least in the medieval sense of penance and suffering. 293 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:54,800 It seemed to me they're often well-off adventure hikers, 294 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,680 seeking an experience they'll remember for ever. 295 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:01,680 Many choose to stay overnight at one of the scores of pilgrim 296 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:03,000 hostels along the route. 297 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:06,520 Wow. That's where we're going. 298 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:11,400 There's a whole infrastructure along the Camino, catering 299 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:15,520 for the needs of modern travellers, just as there was in medieval times. 300 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:19,800 Hola. Hola. 301 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:22,880 This is the hostel of San Nicolas. 302 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:28,840 Look at this place! 303 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:34,200 Macarrones. Pasta Italiana. 304 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:37,800 It's run by a religious charity who provide weary pilgrims with 305 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:41,280 a hearty meal and a very welcome bed for the night. 306 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,000 Augusto. Augusto. 307 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:44,680 Augusto. Encantada. 308 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:46,760 Very nice to meet you. Habla ingles? 309 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:49,000 Very bit. 310 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:50,840 Very bit. A little. Yeah, yeah. 311 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:54,440 But you have a good firm handshake and that's what matters! 312 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:59,600 BELL RINGS 313 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:07,880 Before dinner, the hosts at this hostel gather everyone together 314 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:09,880 to perform a religious ritual. 315 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,280 They're going to wash our feet. 316 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:18,080 One foot. 317 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:19,360 My goodness. 318 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:25,480 Cleaning the smelly feet of two dozen hikers struck me 319 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:27,720 as an act of extreme penitence by the hosts. 320 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:31,960 HOST SPEAKS IN SPANISH 321 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,240 For me it was a rather humbling experience. 322 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:44,080 Gracias. Gracias. 323 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:47,600 There was an intimate feel to the hostel that I really enjoyed. 324 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,520 It was a chance to share a meal and stories with fellow travellers 325 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:53,480 and discover their reasons for walking the Camino. 326 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:04,840 Ramina and Natalia had come all the way from South America. 327 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:07,360 Can you tell us why you're doing this? 328 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:16,440 Are you very religious? No. 329 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:26,760 And it's a big meditation. All day you're walking, and your... 330 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:30,560 all your head is doing... remember your family. 331 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:34,640 Remember your, I don't know, all your life goes through your head. 332 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:40,840 All day long, because you're walking and you're alone, and it's good. 333 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:45,840 You think about lots of stuff you never did, or questioned before. 334 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,680 Have you had moments while you've been walking 335 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:56,760 when you've been thinking almost too much and the tears start to flow? 336 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:59,040 No tears. No tears. 337 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:01,200 Angry! I want to get there. 338 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:03,760 It's very brave of you. 339 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:07,840 We are brave! It's OK. 340 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:22,200 There's a real community along the Camino that I haven't expected, 341 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:24,800 and been quite surprised to experience here. 342 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,240 I can completely see the attraction. 343 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:33,080 I think it's a magnificent and completely memorable thing to do. 344 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:39,280 I've been blessed with a lot of travel experiences in recent years. 345 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:43,120 The last ten years particularly. But I won't forget this. 346 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:47,240 I think that's why a lot of people are doing it as well. 347 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:50,200 It does provide you with experiences that you're going to remember. 348 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,320 COCKEREL CROWS 349 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:15,360 NEARBY BUSTLE AND CHATTER 350 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,680 Oh, everybody else appears to be up. 351 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:26,040 This lot are all hardcore, aren't they? 352 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:29,880 Hardcore by my standards anyway! 07:30. 353 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:31,280 They've up and left. 354 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:35,880 I think I'd better follow them on the path. 355 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:47,480 There are many different reasons to walk the Camino. 356 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:50,960 A time to think, religious devotion, or for many, 357 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:54,960 the sheer physical challenge of completing an epic journey. 358 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:57,160 But everyone shares the same goal. 359 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:01,040 The city of Santiago de Compostela, home to the shrine of St James. 360 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:04,560 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 361 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:08,520 In the main square of the town, pilgrims and walkers 362 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:11,560 were arriving and celebrating the end of their Camino. 363 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:13,160 # And cheer with voices true 364 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:15,880 # Rah-rah for Notre Dame (YOU RAH-RAH!) 365 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:18,600 # We will fight in every game 366 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:23,280 # While her loyal sons are marching onward to victory 367 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:29,720 # For Notre Dame. # 368 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:33,840 Come on, now, that was incredible! 369 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:36,720 Surround sound effect. You cannot buy that! 370 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:38,440 Thank you very much. 371 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:40,200 If you want to, though, we've got CDs! 372 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:42,160 LAUGHTER 373 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:51,000 For someone without faith like me, the tale of how St James 374 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:54,120 ended up here is frankly pretty unbelievable. 375 00:24:54,120 --> 00:24:56,840 Apparently James was beheaded in the Holy Land, 376 00:24:56,840 --> 00:25:00,160 but stories say his remains were put into a crewless stone boat 377 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:03,600 that angels helped transport to northern Spain. 378 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,920 Scallop shells worn by pilgrims testify to one of the miracles 379 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:09,920 that followed, when a horse and rider were saved from the sea 380 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:11,760 and emerged covered in shells. 381 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:18,440 I met up with author Nancy Frey, who guides pilgrims along the Camino. 382 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:22,160 She's also studied how the city of Santiago developed around St James 383 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:24,960 and how it's still defined by pilgrimage today. 384 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:28,680 So is Santiago, then, one of the best examples of a town or city 385 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:34,320 that owes its entire existence to a holy shrine and to pilgrimage? 386 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:37,960 Absolutely, and what is remarkable is that it was competing with 387 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:39,960 thousands of other sites. 388 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:42,680 And what is amazing is that it really 389 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:45,680 rose to the surface of all of the other ones 390 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:50,000 because James is said to be one of Christ's inner circle. 391 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,560 He's one of the most important apostles. Mm. 392 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:56,520 He's someone who's referred to at key moments in the ministry of Christ 393 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:00,600 and they had his whole body here. 394 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:05,720 And that obviously helped to sustain Christianity in Spain, didn't it? 395 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:09,800 Absolutely, because it becomes an anchor point for 396 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:13,120 this pilgrimage, for Christianity, in the whole north west, 397 00:26:13,120 --> 00:26:18,280 and at the same time as telling the evolving story of Spain's history. 398 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:21,120 In the 8th century, 399 00:26:21,120 --> 00:26:23,880 Spain was invaded by the Moors from North Africa, 400 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:27,720 and became predominantly Muslim for more than 700 years. 401 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:30,280 But a pocket of Christianity remained in the remote north 402 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:33,360 in the area around what's now Santiago. 403 00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:36,400 So it was rather convenient that the remains of St James 404 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:38,800 were discovered here in the 9th century. 405 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:40,920 They became a rallying point for Christians 406 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:42,520 trying to reclaim the country. 407 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:47,200 Ironically, James, a fisherman who became an apostle, 408 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:50,920 was used in death to encourage Christian soldiers. 409 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:54,480 He became a lucky warrior mascot who was said to appear at key 410 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:56,640 battles against the Moors, 411 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:59,800 but today he's most often pictured as a humble pilgrim. 412 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:03,560 He has all of these facets. 413 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:06,680 There's this important figure next to Christ as an apostle, 414 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:11,040 and then as this figure of movement, of a journey, discovery, 415 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:15,360 the spirituality, and then of course used as a military figure. 416 00:27:15,360 --> 00:27:18,560 And this is one of the reasons why I think it has been such 417 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:21,560 a successful image, because it is malleable. 418 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:25,760 You can change him and he has been changed and manipulated over time. 419 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:27,280 So is he really in there? 420 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:28,880 I don't think it really matters 421 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,000 because people have been believing for more than a thousand years 422 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:36,240 that he is there, and it has the consequence, the result of that 423 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:39,280 has been the creation of this remarkable way 424 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:43,920 and the presence of millions of people over the last thousand years, 425 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:48,640 who have believed or who have come here to visit this place or to 426 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:52,760 journey, to have their own journey of discovery, and here they are. 427 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:55,920 So it doesn't matter whether there are bones or not because it's here. 428 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:58,560 Whether the remains of St James 429 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:01,720 are here or not, the cathedral to house his legend took more 430 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:03,400 than 100 years to complete. 431 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:09,680 It was finally consecrated in the early 13th century. 432 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:13,160 It was designed to impress. A job it still does today. 433 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:16,160 Now that is a vision. 434 00:28:18,360 --> 00:28:20,120 Look at it! 435 00:28:20,120 --> 00:28:22,880 The light streaming down, it looks ethereal. 436 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:26,360 Not of this world. 437 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:36,480 I think it's quite hard to imagine how a pilgrim who has trekked 438 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:40,800 here would feel at that sight, but surely you would... 439 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:45,480 I feel, as a person without faith, I feel in the presence of something... 440 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:48,520 ..something holy. 441 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:51,400 CHORAL SINGING 442 00:28:56,920 --> 00:29:00,720 Thousands of walkers and cyclists were crammed into the cathedral 443 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:05,320 for the Sunday Mass, which for many marks the end of their journey. 444 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:07,360 There are even some local worshippers. 445 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:17,600 As the bags are going around, I can hear all the coins 446 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:19,000 and the money jangling. 447 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:26,080 A cathedral like this would earn a fortune from pilgrims. 448 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:35,680 The finale of the Mass 449 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:38,600 involves one of the world's largest incense burners. 450 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:42,720 HE SPEAKS IN SPANISH 451 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:11,040 They used to do this to fumigate the stench from the pilgrims 452 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:13,040 massed into the cathedral. 453 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:15,960 Now of course they still do it for religious reasons, 454 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:17,720 but it's part of the drama. 455 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:20,520 It's part of the theatre of the whole occasion. 456 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:23,480 This is what makes it such an event for people 457 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:25,760 finishing their pilgrimage. APPLAUSE 458 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:27,200 Listen to that! 459 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:33,640 While these travellers celebrated the end of their journey, 460 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:35,600 the next part of my journey would take me 461 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:38,680 to one of the most important pilgrimage routes through Europe. 462 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:42,120 The route between Britain and the holy city of Rome 463 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:44,440 was first mapped in the 10th century. 464 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:47,640 Pilgrims following it had to cross one of Europe's biggest obstacles... 465 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:50,160 ..the Alps. 466 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:03,760 I've come to an area where a 12th century abbot 467 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:08,800 travelling from Iceland to Rome tells us the different 468 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:13,880 pilgrimage routes from Northern Europe to Italy all converged. 469 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:19,120 They would have been Scandinavians, English, Franks, French, Flemish, 470 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:21,480 all coming through this area. 471 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:27,120 Look at this, there's snow just on the road here. 472 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,680 Almost like a chunk of it has fallen off. 473 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:32,320 Can still just get past, 474 00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:35,000 but I know I won't be able to go for much further. 475 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:38,280 And then it's going to be time to walk. 476 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:42,880 Most modern travellers now use a boring tunnel under 477 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:46,360 the mountain, but for thousands of years, pilgrims, merchants 478 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:49,800 and armies all crossed the Alps at the Great St Bernard Pass. 479 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:53,840 This must be as far as I can go. 480 00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:57,880 Oh, stop the car. 481 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:02,920 The pass is 8,000 feet above sea level 482 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:06,640 and conditions for crossing it are notoriously unpredictable. 483 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:12,960 There are numerous accounts of pilgrims crossing the Alps 484 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:16,320 who lost their companions to avalanches or exposure. 485 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:18,800 The snow here can be 10 metres deep in winter 486 00:32:18,800 --> 00:32:22,520 and the temperature drops to minus 30 centigrade. 487 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:25,560 In the 10th century, even an Archbishop of Canterbury 488 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:28,640 froze to death here while making a pilgrimage to Rome. 489 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:34,960 Even in summer time, as it is now, when the sky is blue, 490 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:36,960 it's still snowy up here. 491 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:39,880 Imagine the conditions in winter. 492 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:41,760 People still crossed then. 493 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,960 To provide shelter and safety for pilgrims and travellers, 494 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:54,720 an 11th century monk founded a hostel at the top of the pass. 495 00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:58,080 He was St Bernard, the apostle of the Alps. 496 00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:03,080 Look, there he is. Just round there. At the top. 497 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:04,600 Come round the bend. 498 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:08,440 It's a hostel, a refuge, a monastery, 499 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:10,520 and a very welcome sight! 500 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:19,320 A medieval manuscript describes this place as one of the three columns 501 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:22,040 built by God for the support of his poor people. 502 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:28,200 Today, the hostel is run by three canons and two sisters from the 503 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:32,440 Augustine order, who provide food and shelter for passing pilgrims. 504 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:35,720 Oh, it's lovely. Look at this! 505 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:38,840 What a lovely mountain room. 506 00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:41,600 Brother Raphael showed me to my room for the night. 507 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:43,160 Oh, yes. 508 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:48,160 If you want to see where are the toilets and the douche... 509 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:50,200 I'm sure I'll find them. 510 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:55,400 If you want anything, you ring the bell and somebody will answer. 511 00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:58,880 Assist. Thank you very much indeed, sir. 512 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:02,480 I pray... I wish you a good stay here. 513 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:03,920 That's lovely of you. 514 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:07,560 BELL RINGS 515 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:13,160 To look after visitors, 516 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:16,160 the canons have a small team working behind the scenes. 517 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:17,680 I offered to help out. 518 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:23,240 That's the first time I've ever served soup to anyone. 519 00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:26,880 Back in here? Yeah. 520 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:30,840 Pascal has worked here for the last three years. 521 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:38,400 Does it feel like you're continuing the spirit of St Bernard? 522 00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:39,560 Yes, yes. 523 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:43,560 For sure, it's really touristic here, but sometimes, 524 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:47,920 and especially in summer, we have people come here with nothing. 525 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:53,600 I remember last year, a guy who came here with nothing, and we... 526 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:56,600 he didn't pay anything, and we gave clothes. 527 00:34:56,600 --> 00:35:00,680 Everything. It's not a problem. We really welcome everybody. 528 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:03,960 This is a very special... a special place to work, isn't it? 529 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:06,840 Which you get pilgrims coming to as well. 530 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:11,000 Yes, we get pilgrims. Over and...more and more every year. 531 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:12,720 More and more are coming. Yes. Yes. 532 00:35:12,720 --> 00:35:15,040 They always say it's for spirituality, you know? 533 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:18,040 Just to walk and... 534 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:20,640 just don't think about my job, 535 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:22,880 don't think about my life. 536 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:26,920 Just to do other things, and don't think about anything. 537 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:29,200 Get on the road. Yes, exactly. 538 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:33,840 You haven't eaten enough! 539 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:36,000 It was good! I was full! 540 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:37,720 You were full. OK! 541 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:41,120 Thank you! 542 00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:43,560 My aim is just not to break a plate. 543 00:35:53,720 --> 00:35:56,640 This ancient Christian refuge hasn't closed its doors 544 00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:58,600 for a thousand years. 545 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:02,200 It's open to everyone, no matter what their religion or philosophy. 546 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:06,960 To stretch out the muscles after the long climb up the mountain, 547 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:10,200 I joined other visitors at a yoga and meditation class. 548 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:13,600 Just check in with your body. What's your body doing? 549 00:36:14,720 --> 00:36:17,960 How does it feel in your legs? How do your shoulders feel? 550 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:22,040 These design students from the University of Utah 551 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:24,920 are on a European pilgrimage visiting holy sites 552 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:27,200 and places that inspired works of literature. 553 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:33,160 How was the yoga for you? 554 00:36:33,160 --> 00:36:36,240 Oh, I loved it. I cried a little, to tell you the truth. 555 00:36:36,240 --> 00:36:38,600 Did you? Yes, I was being a baby. 556 00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:44,200 For 19-year-old Ricky, it's his first experience of pilgrimage. 557 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:48,080 I actually...I love walking, hiking. I've been athletic my whole life. 558 00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:51,320 Sports, and so I decided I have to do it. 559 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:55,040 Was it the history, the promise of special experiences 560 00:36:55,040 --> 00:36:56,400 that drew you in? 561 00:36:56,400 --> 00:36:58,480 I kind of...spiritually, I wanted to do it. 562 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:00,280 I've got to get some meaning in my life. 563 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:02,640 Is that what this is going to help you with, do you think? 564 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:05,040 I hope so. I believe. 565 00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:11,680 The majority of the students are Mormons. 566 00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:13,880 They were being put to work around the hostel, 567 00:37:13,880 --> 00:37:15,880 apparently so they could learn about the life 568 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:18,680 of St Bernard and the value of service. 569 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:22,200 Oh, my goodness. 570 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:28,560 What are you doing? 571 00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:32,600 Hard to reach spaces, I guess. 572 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:35,560 You be careful! 573 00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:36,640 Oh, I'm good. 574 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:43,560 Avec de l'eau. Ah, OK, oui. C'est tout. OK? OK. Je comprends. 575 00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:47,040 Simon, one for you. Oh, you are so kind! 576 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:52,720 Do you think there is a deeper meaning to doing things like this, 577 00:37:52,720 --> 00:37:55,680 or is it just learning to do things 578 00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:57,480 you don't necessarily want to do? 579 00:37:57,480 --> 00:38:02,120 In a way, we get to see the monks' perspective of service. 580 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:05,480 Maintaining the cleanliness of the church 581 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:07,320 is a service for the monks. 582 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:10,720 We are repaying them for what they do for the pilgrims. 583 00:38:10,720 --> 00:38:13,200 It's kind of like what goes around comes around. 584 00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:15,160 Good karma and all that, right? 585 00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:17,480 Good karma? Yeah. 586 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:22,760 Yoga, karma, Mormons. 587 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:26,440 I was surprised by this very modern mixing of cultures and religions. 588 00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:28,720 In the hostel museum I talked to Alex, 589 00:38:28,720 --> 00:38:31,080 one of the leaders of the group. 590 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:35,320 We come from a highly concentrated Mormon background, 591 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:36,960 where it's a bubble. 592 00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:39,440 I mean, it's a different world. 593 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:41,880 All of us are culture shocked when we go out into the world 594 00:38:41,880 --> 00:38:43,920 and see that not everybody is Mormon 595 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:46,320 and everybody does the same things we do. 596 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:48,080 So to come to Switzerland? 597 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:50,760 To come to Switzerland is a big eye-opener, 598 00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:53,120 because we're involved with a lot of things, 599 00:38:53,120 --> 00:38:54,840 like we went to Mass yesterday. 600 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:58,600 98% of the students that we have have never been to a Catholic Mass, 601 00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:01,480 and so it's easy just to write that off as, 602 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:04,760 "Oh, this is foreign to me and so this is useless," 603 00:39:04,760 --> 00:39:07,760 but what we're trying to do is show the students that, no, 604 00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:10,200 this has the same amount of value to the people here 605 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:12,600 as what we do back home. 606 00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:15,680 Do you feel like this is a part of a pilgrimage? 607 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:17,880 Yes, I do. I think... I don't know. 608 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:22,480 I define pilgrimage simply as a journey that an individual 609 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:25,520 just feels like he or she needs to take. 610 00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:28,840 A pilgrimage is not so much an escape in my opinion, 611 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:30,120 at least not for me. 612 00:39:30,120 --> 00:39:34,120 A pilgrimage is a time for you to try to find a reality 613 00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:35,520 to the human condition 614 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:38,800 that you may not have tapped into before in your life. 615 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:40,240 That's good. 616 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:45,520 It was time for me to head south 617 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:48,320 to the centre of Catholic Europe, Italy. 618 00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:02,320 I'm really zipping around on this journey. France, Spain, Switzerland. 619 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:05,320 I'm now driving through Italy, across Italy in fact, 620 00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:08,320 to a town on the eastern side of the country, 621 00:40:08,320 --> 00:40:11,720 which has seen a massive boom in the number of people and visitors 622 00:40:11,720 --> 00:40:14,320 and pilgrims who have been heading there in recent years. 623 00:40:17,760 --> 00:40:21,400 San Giovanni Rotondo was once a small sheep farming town. 624 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:24,360 It's now a booming pilgrimage destination. 625 00:40:28,880 --> 00:40:33,080 The pilgrims are here because of Padre Pio, an Italian friar 626 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:35,560 who became famous for his miraculous powers 627 00:40:35,560 --> 00:40:37,240 and Christ-like suffering. 628 00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:41,480 Padre Pio died in 1968. 629 00:40:41,480 --> 00:40:46,160 San Giovanni reportedly now gets more than two million visitors every year. 630 00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:53,600 This is a pilgrimage site unlike anything we've seen 631 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:56,200 anywhere on this journey so far. 632 00:40:56,200 --> 00:40:58,360 Very modern. 633 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:01,400 Ludicrously so, to a certain degree. 634 00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:05,240 Personally I go for old and old-fashioned, 635 00:41:05,240 --> 00:41:07,560 but this is... 636 00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:10,000 This is very 20th and 21st century. 637 00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:24,120 This cathedral opened in 2004 and can hold up to 8,000 pilgrims, 638 00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:27,960 reflecting the mass appeal of what many see as the cult of Padre Pio. 639 00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:31,880 It's a mega-church, eh? 640 00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:34,000 Proof of the old adage, 641 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,960 perhaps, if you build it, they will come. 642 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:46,440 Followers of Padre Pio believed he had the ability to read souls 643 00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:49,440 and appear in two places at once. 644 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:52,440 It's claimed he could miraculously cure people, 645 00:41:52,440 --> 00:41:53,720 help the blind to see, 646 00:41:53,720 --> 00:41:56,800 and even rose into the sky to protect this town 647 00:41:56,800 --> 00:41:59,440 from American bombers during the Second World War. 648 00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:05,320 Beneath the cathedral, a 75-metre corridor is adorned 649 00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:07,360 from floor to ceiling 650 00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:09,680 with Padre Pio mosaics that promote his legend. 651 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:14,400 The gold has come from tonnes of jewellery donated by devoted pilgrims. 652 00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:22,360 It's almost overwhelming to see all this imagery of him. 653 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:23,840 Goodness me. 654 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:27,560 This is "Padre Pio answers the mail" on this side. 655 00:42:31,520 --> 00:42:34,000 Padre Pio, Padre Pio, Padre Pio, 656 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:36,960 doing everything, being everywhere. 657 00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:39,640 Quite bizarre. 658 00:42:42,720 --> 00:42:47,560 I suppose one of the main things that's made Padre Pio so popular... 659 00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:50,240 He had the stigmata. 660 00:42:50,240 --> 00:42:54,560 A stigmata is when a person appears to develop identical wounds 661 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:58,040 to those of Christ on the cross suffering crucifixion, 662 00:42:58,040 --> 00:43:01,600 so blood seeping from hands, 663 00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:03,480 just the same as those of Christ. 664 00:43:06,720 --> 00:43:09,920 The imagery here is completely mind-blowing. 665 00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:15,560 It looks very much like an attempt to turn Padre Pio 666 00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:17,640 into not just a saint 667 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:21,880 but somebody worthy of almost divine veneration, 668 00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:24,280 somebody akin to Jesus. 669 00:43:25,640 --> 00:43:29,320 This is unlike any other veneration of a Christian saint 670 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:32,040 I'm aware of anywhere in the world. 671 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:34,400 It's more extreme, more intense, 672 00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:36,520 and frankly more over the top. 673 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:40,720 An Italian historian has claimed 674 00:43:40,720 --> 00:43:45,040 Padre Pio kept his stigmata wounds open by using carbolic acid. 675 00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:48,080 The Vatican was suspicious of Padre Pio. 676 00:43:48,080 --> 00:43:50,760 Two popes had him investigated and twice banned him 677 00:43:50,760 --> 00:43:53,200 from performing priestly duties. 678 00:43:53,200 --> 00:43:57,080 But after he died they couldn't control his popular appeal, 679 00:43:57,080 --> 00:44:01,720 and in 2002 he was given the highest honour possible bestowed by the Catholic Church... 680 00:44:01,720 --> 00:44:03,080 a sainthood. 681 00:44:06,160 --> 00:44:09,320 His body is now kept on display in a purpose-built crypt. 682 00:44:18,240 --> 00:44:21,680 Rarely in the history of Christianity has the cult of a saint 683 00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:23,920 expanded so rapidly and so powerfully 684 00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:26,880 as it has around Padre Pio. 685 00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:28,960 After the Vatican, 686 00:44:28,960 --> 00:44:32,800 this is claimed to be the second largest pilgrimage site in Europe. 687 00:44:55,120 --> 00:44:59,640 Well, that was unlike any Christian church or building, shrine 688 00:44:59,640 --> 00:45:02,400 or sanctuary I've been to anywhere in the world. 689 00:45:03,840 --> 00:45:07,200 It's extraordinary how important Padre Pio's become. 690 00:45:07,200 --> 00:45:12,000 He went from being a fairly small-town friar 691 00:45:12,000 --> 00:45:17,120 to a figure of national importance and then global significance. 692 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:30,520 The adoration of saintly figures isn't unusual, of course, 693 00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:32,240 but here it's big business. 694 00:45:38,520 --> 00:45:40,480 To help spread the word further, 695 00:45:40,480 --> 00:45:43,640 there's a global media operation which bears his name. 696 00:45:50,920 --> 00:45:52,720 Wow. 697 00:45:52,720 --> 00:45:57,000 Padre Pio TV station transmits live from the cathedral 698 00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:59,880 five times a day, every day. 699 00:45:59,880 --> 00:46:02,240 This is what you call a feed, isn't it? This is your... 700 00:46:02,240 --> 00:46:05,080 Yes. This is the Mass. This is the Mass. Yes. 701 00:46:05,080 --> 00:46:08,200 And where is...? Live. Live, OK. OK? 702 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:11,280 The channel's watched around the world, including across Asia 703 00:46:11,280 --> 00:46:13,560 and North and South America. 704 00:46:13,560 --> 00:46:16,120 Stefania is a producer at the station. 705 00:46:16,120 --> 00:46:18,920 Do you have any viewing figures for how many people 706 00:46:18,920 --> 00:46:21,400 will be seeing the Mass at the moment? 707 00:46:21,400 --> 00:46:25,720 We have an average of 300,000 people every day. 708 00:46:25,720 --> 00:46:28,400 300,000? Yes. Yes. 709 00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:30,440 And that's around the planet? Yes. 710 00:46:30,440 --> 00:46:32,840 The TV station is run by monks. 711 00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:35,800 The president is Padre Mariano Devito. 712 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:39,760 Is it a little bit unusual for an order of monks 713 00:46:39,760 --> 00:46:42,200 to be involved in television? 714 00:46:42,200 --> 00:46:44,560 Or is it just the 21st century? 715 00:47:09,800 --> 00:47:14,120 There is almost an industry around Padre Pio. 716 00:47:33,600 --> 00:47:36,680 Coach-loads of visitors arrive here daily. 717 00:47:36,680 --> 00:47:40,240 In this poor region of Italy, the town and its 30,000 residents 718 00:47:40,240 --> 00:47:43,840 earn more than £100 million a year from visiting pilgrims. 719 00:47:47,120 --> 00:47:50,720 It's fascinating how the economy of a place like this can become 720 00:47:50,720 --> 00:47:54,400 dependent on, but can exist in the first place, because of pilgrimage. 721 00:47:54,400 --> 00:47:58,400 I've seen it elsewhere on my journey, but never quite so starkly. 722 00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:02,880 We've got a hotel here just on this street, hotel here, 723 00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:06,600 hotel, hotel, restaurant, cafe, restaurant, cafe. 724 00:48:07,920 --> 00:48:09,720 All the way down this street 725 00:48:09,720 --> 00:48:15,520 there are now scores of hotels in this town, which, frankly, 726 00:48:15,520 --> 00:48:18,720 if the cult of Padre Pio wasn't here, 727 00:48:18,720 --> 00:48:21,800 would probably deserve just a couple of little guest houses. 728 00:48:23,680 --> 00:48:27,200 The town actually has more than 120 hotels serving 729 00:48:27,200 --> 00:48:29,320 the 21st-century pilgrim industry. 730 00:48:30,720 --> 00:48:33,520 I went to one to meet the owner, Franco, who's lived 731 00:48:33,520 --> 00:48:37,080 all his life in San Giovanni and has seen the town transformed. 732 00:48:38,200 --> 00:48:40,760 Have your family always been hoteliers? 733 00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:09,000 Do you find it slightly astonishing that you have opened a hotel, 734 00:49:09,000 --> 00:49:10,800 you've had great success, 735 00:49:10,800 --> 00:49:14,440 and now the story of Padre Pio's spread so far? 736 00:49:40,120 --> 00:49:42,520 'Franco employs over 100 staff, 737 00:49:42,520 --> 00:49:45,400 'serving an increasing number of guests.' 738 00:49:45,400 --> 00:49:49,680 You seem to have an Olympic-size swimming pool out here! 739 00:49:49,680 --> 00:49:53,280 'Modern pilgrims who come here, even for just a weekend, 740 00:49:53,280 --> 00:49:56,080 'often expect a certain level of luxury.' 741 00:49:56,080 --> 00:49:57,640 There is this line, isn't there? 742 00:49:57,640 --> 00:50:00,680 This sort of divide where people are called pilgrims or they're 743 00:50:00,680 --> 00:50:04,880 called tourists, but maybe the two are becoming one now, 744 00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:06,680 and certainly in a place like this. 745 00:50:31,800 --> 00:50:33,520 Thank you. 746 00:50:33,520 --> 00:50:36,480 Prego. Grazie a voi. Thank you! 747 00:50:46,680 --> 00:50:49,240 I think what this town represents 748 00:50:49,240 --> 00:50:52,720 is the globalisation of pilgrimage. 749 00:50:52,720 --> 00:50:56,280 I think I'd have expected that in the 21st century, 750 00:50:56,280 --> 00:50:59,840 people would have been turning away from religious belief 751 00:50:59,840 --> 00:51:02,880 and pilgrimage to places like this, but quite the opposite. 752 00:51:02,880 --> 00:51:05,440 They've now got people coming from around the world here, 753 00:51:05,440 --> 00:51:08,440 and as long as they continue to come, 754 00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:11,400 the locals here are going to keep raking in the money. 755 00:51:14,320 --> 00:51:16,920 Pilgrimage trips were the forerunner of the modern holiday. 756 00:51:16,920 --> 00:51:20,360 Even the word is ultimately derived from "Holy Day." 757 00:51:20,360 --> 00:51:24,080 European pilgrimage had been in decline, but in recent decades, 758 00:51:24,080 --> 00:51:27,800 as we've become wealthier with more spare time, it's booming. 759 00:51:27,800 --> 00:51:30,640 We're softies compared to hardy medieval pilgrims, 760 00:51:30,640 --> 00:51:32,120 but we still have belief. 761 00:51:32,120 --> 00:51:34,640 Now many want to combine holiday and Holy Day - 762 00:51:34,640 --> 00:51:36,840 a pilgrimage, but with a swimming pool. 763 00:51:43,560 --> 00:51:47,400 An ancient pilgrimage route took me towards my final destination. 764 00:51:50,120 --> 00:51:52,840 Travellers from Britain and Northern Europe walked this way 765 00:51:52,840 --> 00:51:56,880 for centuries to get their first glimpse of the eternal city. 766 00:51:58,680 --> 00:52:01,400 HE LAUGHS Flipping 'eck! 767 00:52:03,800 --> 00:52:05,120 Look at that! 768 00:52:07,480 --> 00:52:08,680 Rome! 769 00:52:11,360 --> 00:52:15,520 This would have been the first chance that hundreds 770 00:52:15,520 --> 00:52:19,480 of thousands of pilgrims would have had to see this extraordinary 771 00:52:19,480 --> 00:52:23,440 city coming over the hill, and there it is in front of you. 772 00:52:24,600 --> 00:52:26,160 Vatican down there. 773 00:52:27,720 --> 00:52:32,600 Imagine coming here and really believing in your very core 774 00:52:32,600 --> 00:52:35,680 that your soul would benefit from this journey, 775 00:52:35,680 --> 00:52:38,080 from arriving here. 776 00:52:38,080 --> 00:52:41,080 You think what's wrapped up in that. 777 00:52:41,080 --> 00:52:45,680 The history, the culture, the power, the civilisation, 778 00:52:45,680 --> 00:52:46,720 the religion. 779 00:52:49,280 --> 00:52:53,840 Not just generations of it, but century after century. 780 00:52:53,840 --> 00:52:58,400 It's been one of the planet's great destinations. 781 00:53:05,720 --> 00:53:07,320 And still today, 782 00:53:07,320 --> 00:53:11,040 Rome pulls in the crowds like no other pilgrimage site in Europe. 783 00:53:17,920 --> 00:53:20,560 People come to Rome now in their millions for all sorts of 784 00:53:20,560 --> 00:53:24,960 reasons, but what really drew people in the past, pilgrims particularly, 785 00:53:24,960 --> 00:53:28,520 was the incredible collection of relics that were housed here. 786 00:53:28,520 --> 00:53:32,720 For hundreds of years, Rome had the finest collection of relics 787 00:53:32,720 --> 00:53:35,440 in the world, including the Ark Of The Covenant, 788 00:53:35,440 --> 00:53:38,640 the tablets of Moses and even, apparently, 789 00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:40,680 Jesus' foreskin and his umbilical cord. 790 00:53:44,280 --> 00:53:46,480 It would have taken Medieval pilgrims months 791 00:53:46,480 --> 00:53:48,160 to walk here from Britain. 792 00:53:48,160 --> 00:53:51,360 They would have been exhausted, but the city that awaited them 793 00:53:51,360 --> 00:53:52,560 had its disappointments. 794 00:53:54,400 --> 00:53:56,760 Many of the buildings were in ruins. 795 00:53:56,760 --> 00:54:01,800 Some of them were being quarried and mined for building material. 796 00:54:01,800 --> 00:54:05,080 It would have been a huge shock to pilgrims arriving here. 797 00:54:05,080 --> 00:54:07,840 They'd heard tales of this grand city, 798 00:54:07,840 --> 00:54:11,080 but the glory days of the Roman Empire were long past. 799 00:54:35,000 --> 00:54:37,480 The Tiber in those days as well 800 00:54:37,480 --> 00:54:41,680 wasn't the pleasant, flowing river that it is today. 801 00:54:41,680 --> 00:54:44,880 In fact, it was a bit of a mosquito-infested swamp. 802 00:54:46,600 --> 00:54:49,400 That was another great threat to pilgrims and travellers 803 00:54:49,400 --> 00:54:52,840 because, of course, mosquitoes often carry disease 804 00:54:52,840 --> 00:54:59,240 and Italy wasn't declared malaria-free until 1970. 805 00:54:59,240 --> 00:55:03,080 Pilgrims who came here contracted it, and speaking of somebody who 806 00:55:03,080 --> 00:55:07,200 also managed to get it, although in Africa, I can assure you 807 00:55:07,200 --> 00:55:10,440 it's about the most unpleasant thing you can go through in life. 808 00:55:21,320 --> 00:55:24,320 Despite all the threats and the challenges that faced them 809 00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:26,920 on their long journey, and even when they got to Rome, 810 00:55:26,920 --> 00:55:30,160 pilgrims kept coming, and they came for one thing in particular. 811 00:55:35,200 --> 00:55:38,760 St Peter's and the Vatican is where the apostle Peter was martyred, 812 00:55:38,760 --> 00:55:40,280 crucified upside down. 813 00:55:41,880 --> 00:55:43,520 This is the perfect time to be here. 814 00:55:43,520 --> 00:55:46,920 It's 10:45 on a Sunday morning, 815 00:55:46,920 --> 00:55:48,440 and people are gathering. 816 00:55:49,800 --> 00:55:52,240 I've come to St Peter's Square at a time when 817 00:55:52,240 --> 00:55:56,000 pilgrims arrive in their thousands to be blessed by the Pope. 818 00:55:57,880 --> 00:56:00,720 People have come here from all over the world. 819 00:56:00,720 --> 00:56:03,200 I can see the flags of Brazil, 820 00:56:03,200 --> 00:56:06,920 India over there, Poland, Argentina. 821 00:56:06,920 --> 00:56:10,120 They're here for the Pope, they're here for the Vatican, 822 00:56:10,120 --> 00:56:11,960 and Rome, of course, is still 823 00:56:11,960 --> 00:56:14,840 the biggest pilgrimage destination in Europe. 824 00:56:17,360 --> 00:56:19,080 Travelling across the Continent, 825 00:56:19,080 --> 00:56:22,840 I'd seen the powerful effects holy places had on pilgrims, 826 00:56:22,840 --> 00:56:25,200 but this was a much jollier gathering. 827 00:56:25,200 --> 00:56:28,040 We weren't seeing yet another bit of bone belonging to a saint 828 00:56:28,040 --> 00:56:30,320 who lived hundreds of years ago. 829 00:56:30,320 --> 00:56:31,760 For Catholics in the Square, 830 00:56:31,760 --> 00:56:35,640 the living father of their church was about to appear. 831 00:56:35,640 --> 00:56:37,600 Look at the tiny little figure up there! 832 00:56:37,600 --> 00:56:39,240 CROWD CHEERS AND APPLAUDS 833 00:56:39,240 --> 00:56:41,560 It is astonishing how many people are here, 834 00:56:41,560 --> 00:56:45,400 but this is an audience - not a very private audience - 835 00:56:45,400 --> 00:56:49,280 but one nonetheless, with a man who's close to God, 836 00:56:49,280 --> 00:56:52,040 but somebody who is a very big celebrity as well. 837 00:56:55,640 --> 00:56:58,240 CHEERING 838 00:57:13,920 --> 00:57:15,360 CHEERING 839 00:57:15,360 --> 00:57:17,880 This was the end of a journey that had taught me much 840 00:57:17,880 --> 00:57:21,040 about the history and beliefs of the Continent. 841 00:57:21,040 --> 00:57:23,800 I really feel I've come to understand how pilgrimage 842 00:57:23,800 --> 00:57:28,920 has helped to define routes and towns and cities across Europe 843 00:57:28,920 --> 00:57:31,480 and how it continues to define them today. 844 00:57:35,320 --> 00:57:38,720 I'd learned that European pilgrimage has always been a challenge, 845 00:57:38,720 --> 00:57:41,560 but a great opportunity for adventure. 846 00:57:41,560 --> 00:57:44,000 And clearly, for those who follow a pilgrim's path, 847 00:57:44,000 --> 00:57:46,480 it's about what they discover on the way, 848 00:57:46,480 --> 00:57:50,400 and about themselves, and not just about racing for the journey's end. 849 00:58:01,200 --> 00:58:03,720 CHEERING 850 00:58:08,280 --> 00:58:10,800 'Next time, on the final leg of my travels, 851 00:58:10,800 --> 00:58:12,680 'I go from Turkey to the Holy Land...' 852 00:58:13,680 --> 00:58:15,600 I can't quite believe it. 853 00:58:15,600 --> 00:58:18,880 The Church of the Nativity! I'm in Bethlehem. 854 00:58:18,880 --> 00:58:22,520 '..and finish my journey in the city of Jerusalem.' 855 00:58:24,040 --> 00:58:26,600 It's...utterly overwhelming. 856 00:58:50,920 --> 00:58:54,320 Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd