Have you ever felt the need to leave everything and everyone behind to immerse yourself in nature, and in the search of your true self?
The famous German comedian Hape Kerkeling found himself in this situation when he decided to hike the Camino Frances: the most popular route of the Camino de Santiago, extending around 800km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The book “I am off then” is the collection of his daily diary entries, where Hape describes his personal thoughts and recounts the incredible adventures he lived throughout the pilgrimage. Each chapter of the book corresponds to one leg of his journey and ends with a “quote of the day”. Rather than just describing the beautiful landscapes he hikes and the quaint little villages he encounters along the way, Hape discusses complex topics in the book, such as religion, friendship and the search of oneself. Throughout the 800km that separate him from the final destination of his journey, Hape reflects over his past, his career, and what brought so much success in his life. He explores his relationship with God and has long debates with the other pilgrims on who God is, and how one can find it. He fights against fatigue and physical exhaustion, but the very strong friendship he has built with the other pilgrims will give him the strength to walk all the way to Santiago. By the time he arrives, not only does he find what he was looking for, but also builds friendships that will long outlast his Camino.
Disclaimer: this is the first book I have read in German, and I might not have fully comprehended everything, especially the more introspective parts of the book, where the vocabulary was a bit more sophisticated. However, I must say, I really enjoyed it. I expected to read a pragmatic description of the Camino de Santiago: tips on how to prepare for this physically demanding hike, where to stay and how to best structure the day. Instead, the book is much more than that. It is a perfect mix between humor, self-mockery and introspection. A big thank you goes to my German teacher, who had the brilliant idea of recommending this book to me. It was a very good read, and as the cherry on top of the cake, I feel that my German really improved by reading it. In less than a month, the two Thinking Monkeys are starting the same hike as Hape, and hopefully will also have a great story to share.