Walking pilgrimage no mean feat for minister

The Rev. Tim Thorpe, superintendent minister for Newcastle West, spent eight weeks walking the famous route from Canterbury to Rome.

Setting off in May, Tim and his friend Chris Jackson passed through England, France, Switzerland and Italy, walking 1,234 miles.

The pair walked an average of 20 miles a day, taking in the Somme battlefields, Great St Bernard’s Pass at 8,000 feet and the same roads Julius Caesar walked on his way to invade Britain.

However, the pilgrimage was not all plain sailing; flooding in France and unbearable heat in Italy meant it was no easy feat.

“There were times when I thought ‘what am I doing here?’”, Tim admitted.

“It’s as much a psychological walk as a physical walk.”

Despite problems including mosquitoes, poisonous snakes and noisy hostel guests, there were many highlights, one being the crossing of the River Po in Italy on a rowing boat.

Another stand-out moment in Switzerland happened when the duo ended up in the middle of a brass band festival.

“Someone shouted that we were pilgrims and everyone started clapping and cheering,” Tim said. “It was very amusing.”

As well as making friends along the way, Tim and Chris experienced the true kindness of strangers from a Frenchman letting them stay the night when they couldn’t find a hotel to people offering them free meals.

Tim said: “Often when people hear the word pilgrimage they automatically connect it to faith. The vast majority of people we met were not doing it because of faith, but to find themselves.

“Sometimes you just want to get off the treadmill. I would recommend it to anybody, it will change your life. You have time to walk and think and to just be.

“The pilgrimage makes you realise you don’t need to carry things you don’t need. I have carried baggage all my life and you get to a point where you can just let it go.

“You realise that you don’t need five star hotels to be happy. You just need somewhere that’s clean and tidy, surrounded by decent people.”