Pilgrimage and Place showed earlier interest in tourism to places based on books or movies.
Today another example unfolded. The Dutch tv aired the episode Entry Wounds from the Lewis series. Originally 2014 on UK television, may 2016 in The Netherlands.
Lewis once was assistent of Inspector Morse.
Lewis once was assistent of Inspector Morse.
(Source Amazon.co.uk)
In the ninth series 'Retired' Robbie Lewis (Kevin Whately) is helping his collegue James Hathaway (Laurence Fox) solving the whodunnit.
(Lewis and Hathaway. Source Wikipedia)
In this first episode of a new season Lewis retired and Hathaway was absent for a long time. Several times Lewis tries to find out what Hathaway did. Well, he passed the inspector exams and walked to Santiago de Compostela.
Besides books like The Pilgrimage (Coelho) or The Camino: A Journey of the Spirit (Shirley MacLaine) movies like 'The Way' (2010) and 'Ich bin dann mal weg' (2015, also book 2006) are famous triggers that induce new hordes of pilgrims flooding the roads to Santiago.
There even is a word for this cultural/heritage enthousiasm: Film Induced Tourism. A prime example is the induced tourism following the Lord of the Rings trilogy in New Zealand.
Movies like Inspector Morse or Lewis are in themselves Film Induced Tourism targets as many people visit Oxford exploring locations associated with the television productions.
(The Oxford of Inspector Morse, Antony Richards, 2007)
I myself visited the dales of Yorkshire once exploring the land of the veterinarian James Herriot (aka Alf Wight) following his books (like All creatures great and small) and television series.
Alf Wight and actor Christopher Timothy
Source: http://www.godsowncounty.co.uk/books-literary-work/james-herriot-of-thirsk-and-askrigg/)
As I'm 'into pilgrimage' my ears pointed hearing about Hathaway's pilgrimage to Santiago in this episode of the series. Two specific aspects gained my attention.
“Well, I wasn’t really travelling, I went for a walk.”
“To Spain?”
“Long walk?”
Hathaway, with his theology studies background and 'walking wikipedia' knowledge, states that he didn't do a pilgrimage, he walked.
OK, whether you're a pilgrim is part of your identity. You walk with your feet, you pilgrimage with your heart. Hathaway needed some time off to figure out if he wanted to be a 'copper' and how he related to this life.
Hathaway also indicates that he didn't reach Santiago, in a village just before Santiago he turned around and walked back. Hathaway perhaps walked from Oxford and perhaps also walked back. And after months of walking he decided not to enter Santiago.
Once I wrote in my blog on a pilgrimage to Santiago: it would be a victory if I didn't reach Santiago. I failed.
Guess what, several authors made up stories of what happened on James Hathaway's travels to Santiago.
See also the blog
Retaining the Meta: Adventures of a Midlife PhD which discussues the contemporary monk Hathaway
Some additionals:
Some additionals:
Watching the Detectives: Inside the Guilty Landscapes of Inspector Morse, Baantjer and Wallander
Stijn Reijnders, European Journal of Communication, 2009
(Source: Amazon.com)
