A green canter through the Spanish countryside

Spanish Pilgrimage by Robin Hanbury-Tenison (Hutchinson, £14.99) Virginia Barton
ROBIN Hanbury-Tenison may be known to you as the author of several successful books, or as the president of Survival International. This group has campaigned strenuously for more than 20 years for the rights and interests of threatened tribal peoples.
Survival International monitors and publicises the destruction of the environment — or worse, of human beings to secure for the often persecuted tribal peoples some recognition. The author's work for, and interest in such a task immediately recommended the book to me.
Furthermore, I note that with characteristic generosity, the author has donated part of the royalties from Spanish Pilgrimage to the Confraternity of St James. This organisation w as founded in 1983 to promote the ancient pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela. The British arm of the confraternity is particularly concerned with the restoration of the hostel at Rabanal, for the benefit of walking, riding or cycling pilgrims.
If you wish to know more about the project write to the Confraternity at 45 Dolben Street, London, SE1 OUQ.
One might say that with this book the "environment friendly" pilgrimage has arrived. No stranger to the saddle, the author and his wife "canter to St James" (the subtitle of the book), from which lordly vantage point ugly cement works, silos and litter are only too obvious. The lucky few, able to follow the way on horseback, no doubt have the advantage (scenically at least) over the vast majority of pilgrims who have to make the pilgrimage by package tour. His "green" philosophy is nicely blended with his observations on architecture, wildlife and the Spanish character. The everyday incidents on the long ride are: an integral part of the charm of the book.
The crowning moment of the journey (arrival at the Cathedral of St James) hides just a trace of disappointment. The author feels satisfaction at having completed what he set out to do, but not the spiritual exhaltation perhaps he expected. Too many tourists? Too much Baroque? An overkill of religion? Rather, I suspect, because the idiocies and wickedness of man present to the author a range of overwhelming, irreconcilable problems.
And if man is merely a thing of clay, not made in the image of God, then the outlook is very bleak indeed. This readable, thought-provoking book is definitely one for the saddle-bag or hand luggage.