The Camino Podcast

While your pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago might "officially" begin in St Jean Pied-de-Port, or Pamplona, or Sarria (or any number of other possibilities!), the reality is that it actually begins at home. The physical demands of pilgrimage are best met by a careful and extended training process in the months preceding your departure. But how best to do that? Sheri Goodwin, an experienced "trek trainer" (www.desktotrek.com) shares some insights and strategies for getting yourself ready for the road. This episode also features an interview with Gayle Thomas, who walked the Camino Francés in December-January. What is the Camino like in the winter? (Spoiler alert: Santa makes an appearance.)

Let's re-walk the Camino Francés together! Whereas many of the pilgrim interviews on the podcast take a thematic approach, focusing on a few big picture issues, this series of episodes will dig more into the specifics of walking. Today's episode focuses on the glorious return to the mountains. After a week or so spent in the flatter meseta, this section of the Camino Francés, connecting León and O Cebreiro, involves two significant ascents with a stroll through the Bierzo valley in between. Rod Hoekstra of Seattle shares some stories on the León-Foncebadón stages, including a notable visit to a private museum in Villar de Mazarife. Bob Scheidt of Hoodstown, PA picks up the narrative from there, bringing his extensive experience as a walker and adventurer to bear on the walk onward to O Cebreiro.

For medieval pilgrims, arrival in Santiago meant the midpoint of their journey, not the end. Today's pilgrims typically wrap up their walk in Santiago or on the coast and then return home by train or plane. While that change is certainly more convenient, is something lost in the bargain? Jen Hofmann completed her return trip this summer, walking east from Finisterre to St Jean Pied-de-Port, in pursuit of completion. This episode also features an interview with Dr. Michael Potter from the University of Kentucky--an entomologist with great expertise in the realm of bed bugs. He corrects some common misunderstandings about bed bug prevention techniques and offers some strategies that all pilgrims can employ to keep themselves bite-free.

David Gitlitz and Linda Davidson are the co-authors of The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: The Complete Cultural Handbook, a work that developed out of their research and student trips over the course of three decades. Having first walked to Santiago in 1974, while Spain was still under Franco's rule, David and Linda have witnessed some dramatic changes on the Camino. They were present when the first yellow arrows were painted between Roncesvalles and Pamplona and they fondly recall never encountering pavement between Burgos and León. Their stories offer a rare look into the Camino before its modern resurgence.

Let's re-walk the Camino Francés together! Whereas many of the pilgrim interviews on the podcast take a thematic approach, focusing on a few big picture issues, this series of episodes will dig more into the specifics of walking. This episode focuses on the meseta, probably the least-loved section of the Camino Francés. Many pilgrims are advised to skip this stretch if strapped for time, but what are they missing? Quite a lot, actually! Miguel Cura of Toronto, Canada gets us started in Burgos, telling tales from his walk between there and Carrión de los Condes. Then, Ross Fields takes over and leads us on to the next major city, León. Do you have opinions or questions on this part of the route? Join the conversation at facebook.com/CaminoPodcast.

Let's re-walk the Camino Francés together! Whereas many of the pilgrim interviews on the podcast take a thematic approach, focusing on a few big picture issues, this series of episodes will dig more into the specifics of walking. This episode picks up where Episode 15 left off, in Los Arcos. Deb Roush of Melbourne, Australia shares stories on the next three stages, leading us into Santo Domingo de la Calzada; David Smith of Dublin, Ireland (clearskiescamino.com) picks up the trail from there and leads us on to Burgos. Do you have opinions or questions on this part of the route? Join the conversation at facebook.com/CaminoPodcast.

Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago, released in 2013, is a tremendously influential documentary on the Camino. The film follows seven pilgrims along their journey to Santiago, documenting their experiences while also capturing the beautiful scenery of the way. This episode seeks to get some of the stories behind the film. First, Lydia Smith, the director/producer, describes the process behind getting the film made and her thoughts on its broader impact (caminodocumentary.org). Then, Jack Greenhalgh and Wayne Emde, two of the featured pilgrims in Walking the Camino, discuss what it was liked to be filmed while on pilgrimage, and how it shaped their experience on the road.

While there are, of course, many roads to Rome, the most famous pilgrim road to Rome is the Via Francigena, which originates in Canterbury, England and proceeds in a southeasterly direction through France and Switzerland en route to Italy. It's a diverse route with many highlights, moving past the white cliffs of Dover, and through the vineyards of France, the Swiss Alps, and the rolling hills of Tuscany. One of the major forces in bringing the Via Francigena back to prominence is Paul Chinn, who, along with his wife Babette Gallard, is the co-author of the Lightfoot Guides to the Via Francigena (pilgrimagepublications.com). In this episode, Paul discusses the route, its history, and its current condition. In addition, Kym Wilson (kymwilson.com.au), a pilgrim who walked from Canterbury to Rome in 2013, reflects on her experiences.

One doesn't have to fly across an ocean to walk a sacred track. All across the USA, routes new and old are emerging that replicate the Camino experience in some form or guide believers and trekkers to significant destinations. This episode focuses on one of the most prominent examples of this trend: the California mission walk. This route follows El Camino Real, the historic itinerary connecting California's 21 Spanish missions that were established in the 18th and 19th centuries. Two through-hikers and guidebook authors, Ron Briery (facebook.com/groups/californiamissionwalkers/) and Stephanie Dodaro (walkingelcaminoreal.com), share their thoughts on the route's history, its current condition, and some stories from the road.

The Camino Francés is an 800-km showcase of brilliant church and cathedral architecture, documenting the history of this art form from early pre-Romanesque roots through to more contemporary expressions. The highlights are almost certainly the great Romanesque and Gothic works, though the ultimate target, Santiago de Compostela's cathedral, is most closely associated with its Baroque facade. In this episode, Kathleen Ashley, the author of Being a Pilgrim: Art and Ritual on the Medieval Routes to Santiago, explains the basics of church architecture and describes how pilgrims--past and present--can best approach their visit. In addition, Karl Otto, a pilgrim from Chicago, reflects on his walk on the Camino Francés.