The Camino Podcast

Episode 115 - Of Clay and Bronze

Are some Caminos better-suited to meeting particular pilgrim needs than others? Any Camino can be transformative, of course, but it seems reasonable to offer, for example, that a pilgrim hungry for social connection would be better served following the Francés or the Portugués than the Camino de Levante. What about processing grief? For Chad Estes, a pilgrim from Boise, Idaho, the Via de la Plata was a perfect fit to reflect upon the loss of his father, to write and share stories of their relationship, and to arrive at gratitude for the time they had. In the conversation that follows, Chad discusses exactly what made the Via de la Plata such an accommodating route for this internal journey, the insights he has formulated about navigating grief, and the process he has developed for writing on the Camino. Available on Apple, Spotify, and Youtube. For more information on The Camino Podcast: www.davewhitson.com www.facebook.com/CaminoPodcast

Episode 114 - How I Spent My Spring

This spring, Dave returned to Spain (along with a brief pass-through of France) to perform the annual work of updating and expanding the guidebooks. Over five weeks, he touched down on the Voie Littorale, the Camino del Norte, the Camino Lebaniego, the Camino de San Salvador (in both directions!), the Camino del Mar, and the Camino Inglés. Was it gorgeous? Absolutely! Was this kind of itinerary advisable? Almost certainly not! But, he gleaned a bunch of new insights from these outings, and in this episode he's joined by guidebook co-author Laura Perazzoli to debrief some of the major takeaways. Available on Apple, Spotify, and Youtube. For more information on The Camino Podcast: www.davewhitson.com www.facebook.com/CaminoPodcast

Episode 113 - The Camino del Norte, Part 9 - Bidding the Coast Farewell

The Camino del Norte offers some of the most spectacular scenery of any pilgrimage, combining rugged coastal hills, sandy beaches, spectacular cities and small fishing villages. In this series, we will virtually walk the Norte together, bringing together experienced pilgrims and relevant experts in each episode. In this ninth part of the series, we're tackling four traditional guidebook stages, from Luarca to Gontán/Abadín. This leads us from northwestern Asturias into northeastern Galicia, leaving the coastal portion of the Norte behind and beginning the march into more mountainous terrain. John Morrison (www.walkwithustravelco.com) of Brisbane, Australia, shares stories from a winter Camino through those four stages, featuring torrential rain, strep throat, and a memorable ascent into the Galician hills. He's followed by Kenny Stevens of Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA, who offers a completely different way of approaching this section, by following the historic route inland through Vegadeo, bypassing Ribadeo completely. Available on Apple, Spotify, and Youtube. For more information on The Camino Podcast: www.davewhitson.com www.facebook.com/CaminoPodcast www.patreon.com/davewhitson

Episode 112 - Belief Is Not a Zero-Sum Game

We don't know exactly how many non-religious people make the Camino annually, but it's unquestionably a sizable percentage. What inspires or compels atheists and agnostics to go on pilgrimage? To explore that question, this episode brings together Leonard Vance of Tucson, Arizona and Rhian Sasseen of Brooklyn, New York. Leonard is the author of An Atheist on Pilgrimage: Tales of Humanity from the Camino de Santiago, while Rhian (www.rhiansasseen.com) recently had an essay published in The Nation titled "Walking the Camino in the Shadow of Belief." Together, they discuss the value of losing yourself on pilgrimage, the calming of the mind that can occur over the course of a long walk, and the ways that the Camino did--and didn't--reshape their beliefs. Available on Apple, Spotify, and Youtube. For more information on The Camino Podcast: www.davewhitson.com www.facebook.com/CaminoPodcast www.patreon.com/davewhitson

Episode 111 - Following God's Crayon: Thousands of Miles with Johannes Schwarz

You'll often hear the walk from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela described as "the full Camino." If that's the case, what would you call a 5500km route that begins in Ireland, makes a complete loop in France, and eventually winds up in the Italian Apennines? For Johannes Schwarz (www.4kmh.com), a Catholic priest from Austria, it's just another year. Schwarz completed the Via Columbani, as this route is known, in 2022, and his book--Following Columban: A Pilgrim’s 4000 Mile Quest for Monks, Meaning and the Meaning of Monks--offers a detailed account of his journey. In the conversation that follows, Johannes discusses how he got started as both a priest and a pilgrim, the larger vision behind his pilgrimages, some lessons we can take from Columban and his fellow monks, and why he determined that he fell short on this journey.