The Camino Podcast

Episode 106 - The Global Camino Is Coming!

What if you could go on the Camino without leaving your home? Well, as it turns out, you can--and you can do it soon! Global Camino 2026 is coming up on January 10 and 11 (and if you're listening to this episode later, the annual event is always right around those dates), and it provides pilgrims around the world with an opportunity to walk together, from a distance, and then to share highlights of this collective experience online. Leanne Prichard, from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, is the visionary behind this event, which grew out of Tasmania's annual Way to St James Cygnet. In this episode, she discusses the idea behind Global Camino, all of the positives that pilgrims derive from the experience, and the way that we can all get involved. She also describes the Tasmanian Camino--a fantastic annual event in its own right. Available on Apple, Spotify, and Youtube. To sign up for Global Camino 2026: https://www.facebook.com/events/1274566273763679 For more information on The Camino Podcast: www.davewhitson.com www.facebook.com/CaminoPodcast www.patreon.com/davewhitson

Episode 105 - Following Francis

800 years ago, not-yet-Saint Francis was approaching the end of his 45 years, his body ragged from a life marked by illness and heavy usage, his eyesight all but gone. Those years, though, had been put to exceptionally good use, spurring the establishment of a Catholic order and ethical worldview that would profoundly influence both the Church and generations of exceptional leaders of all backgrounds. While pilgrims walked to Santiago in those years, the Via di Francesco, or the Way of Saint Francis, is a modern construct, linking together the many different towns and sanctuaries that Il Poverello walked through on his life-long pilgrimage. Russ Eanes (www.russeanes.com) keeps finding his way back to Francis and the Francesco, first writing about the pilgrimage route in Pilgrim Paths to Assisi: 300 Miles on the Way of St. Francis, and now about Francis himself in the brand new Good Morning, Good People!: Tales for the Way of St. Francis. For more information on The Camino Podcast: www.davewhitson.com www.facebook.com/CaminoPodcast www.patreon.com/davewhitson

Episode 104 - Ignatian Pilgrimage Insights

On May 20, 1521, Ignatius of Loyola was struck by a cannonball when trying to hold Pamplona against Franco-Navarrese forces. His left leg was wounded, his right shattered. And the city was lost. During the agonizing recovery process that followed, he experienced a profound religious transformation, setting in motion a process that would ultimately lead to the creation of the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuit Order. Father Brendan McManus SJ (www.redemptionroadcamino.com) has brought Jesuit practices and wisdom to his own pilgrimage experience and writings, first in Redemption Road: Grieving on the Camino and most recently in Living the Camino Back Home. In this episode, we explore the applicability and relevance of these practices to all of our pilgrimage journeys. (Available on Apple, Spotify, & Youtube) For more information on The Camino Podcast: www.davewhitson.com www.facebook.com/CaminoPodcast www.patreon.com/davewhitson

Episode 103 - The Camino del Norte, Part 7 - How 'Bout Them Apples?

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 seventh part of the series, we continue westward through Asturias from La Isla to Avilés, passing through beautiful Gijón as well as one of the most criticized stages of the Norte. Paty Matiskella (www.outdoorpilgrim.com), a pilgrim from Eugene, Oregon, pushes back on that criticism, spotlighting some of the significant virtues of this section of the Norte, while Suzanne Henriksen of The Crafty Cask (www.thecraftycask.com) discusses one of the indisputable highlights of walking through Asturias: Spanish cider. For more information on The Camino Podcast: www.davewhitson.com www.facebook.com/CaminoPodcast www.patreon.com/davewhitson

Episode 102 - Walking in Southern Italy

Episode 102 - Walking in Southern Italy Southern Italy, a region long overlooked by contemporary pilgrims, demands our attention. In the midst of a growing network of long-distance walking routes, two stand out. First is the Via Francigena Sud, a continuation of the historic pilgrim road linking Canterbury and Rome, leading southward through Monte Sant'Angelo, Bari, and Brindisi, en route to Santa Maria di Leuca. Second is the Cammino Materano, a network of routes that spiderweb out from the unique city of Matera. A pair of Cicerone guidebook authors (www.cicerone.co.uk) steer us through this audio journey: Nicole Bukaty, co-author of Walking the Via Francigena Pilgrim Route - Part 4 - Rome to Monte Sant’Angelo, Bari, Brindisi and Santa Maria di Leuca, and Gillian Price, author of Walking the Cammino Materano - Three long-distance routes through Italy’s Puglia and Basilicata regions to Matera. For more information on The Camino Podcast: www.davewhitson.com www.facebook.com/CaminoPodcast www.patreon.com/davewhitson