Do's and Dont's of doing a pilgrimage as an atheist?

My brother, sister and I walked the camino de compostela in 2013 - we are all non religious.

Everything is quite organized and we had no problems finding places to sleep/eat. Depending on where you are planning to stay, it can happen that the hostel belongs or is part of the church (albergue parroquial).

One time we were asked if we could attend/say a few words in mass (because they wanted the blessing to be in different languages) - it was interesting and nice. But most of the time nobody cared if we were religious or not.

In Santiago at the office where you get the compostela (the certificate that you walked at least the last 100km of the way), they asked if we where Catholic. If you say no you will get a different, not so pretty looking certificate.

What (not) to do:

• Do not visit/interrupt churches during mass
• When visiting churches, wear propper clothes (nothing too short etc.)
• Enjoy the walk.

I think that there are 2 basic approaches to a pilgrimage which have served people for centuries.

1. It's a holiday. For this to work you need to be properly dressed and equipped (enough sunscreen!) and expecting to enjoy yourself. As with any holiday you need to respect "the locals" which in your case means not only respecting the Spanish, but also the religious. Don't horn in on groups who want to pray together as they walk or talk loudly about your dissent from their beliefs.

2. Treat it as "time out" - a pause from the everyday which is designed to let you think about some of those things which you avoid at other times. This can mean doing the opposite of a normal holiday - turn your mind towards matters which are making you uncomfortable. You could use this as an opportunity to work through grief and come to terms with the loss of a loved one or the end of a phase of your life. You might want to think if you are happy with the direction your life is taking. Is it time to go easy on the booze? Do you want to move house? Are you ready for new responsibilities? Here the steady pace of walking and the removal of other distractions can be used to help with a calmer mood or creating a bubble in which to think.

If you do take path 2, then be prepared to structure your contemplations a little and don't just wallow. This is the secular equivalent of "spiritual discipline".

If you decide on path 1 then create "happy space" for yourself - an enjoyment of the moment. You are not here simply to get to your destination - if that were the case then planes, trains and automobiles would have been your choice. For this to work you need to be sure that you are fit enough to keep walking without the very act of movement being a penance!