Shows
Movement MindsetTraining Teen AthletesListen in as Dave Whitson shares the challenges and rewards of training teen athletes. With years of experience as a high school track and field coach, Dave and his wife transformed a struggling team into a nationally competitive program, sending athletes to nationals multiple times and reshaping the future of the sport at his school.
2025-10-1408 min
The Camino PodcastEpisode 98 - The 2025 JubileeRome's Jubilees, occurring every 25 years (with some extraordinary Jubilees mixed in for good measure, are traditionally associated with universal pardon, offering a special opportunity for the remission of sin and debt. This year's Jubilee, initiated by the late Pope Francis, centers on the theme of hope--Pellegrini di Speranza. In this episode, Bret Thoman (stfrancispilgrimages.com), author of The 2025 Jubilee in Rome, shares insights into the Jubilee's history and some advice on making the pilgrimage to Rome this year. After that, Dave Whitson shares his presentation from the 2025 Gathering in Vancouver, which explores his three-month walk across Italy on the Cammino...
2025-07-091h 09
Zebras to ApplesWarehouse Logistics and Urban Planning with David KalinchukHost Bryndis Whitson welcomes David Kalinchuk, an economic developer and author of “Rich for the Right Reasons”, to discuss warehouse logistics and urban planning. Dave talks about rapid e-commerce growth and shifting consumer behaviors, how they are changing logistics hubs and requiring urban policies that can adapt. He and Bryndis explore the importance of integrating warehouses into city frameworks without disrupting communities. They also address technological advancements which are revolutionizing supply chain efficiency. Dave shares his insight into the challenge of zoning regulations in new warehouse developments, the impact of last-mile delivery on traffic, and s...
2025-04-0757 min
Movement MindsetInterview with Dave Whitson District ManagerInterview with Dave Whitson District Manager
2025-03-0458 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 95 - Victoria Keynote: The Reconciliatory Potential of PilgrimageOn Saturday, 8 February 2025, Dave spoke at the Spring Gathering of the Canadian Company of Pilgrims' Victoria Chapter, about the reconciliatory potential of pilgrimage, building around the three definitional forms of reconciliation: 1) To restore to friendship or harmony, 2) To cause to submit to or accept something unpleasant, and 3) To make consistent or congruous, e.g. to reconcile an ideal with reality. This episode features those remarks in full.
For more information:
www.davewhitson.com
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2025-02-1146 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 94 - El Cid: The Man, the Myth, and the LegacyDr. Nora Berend's newly-published El Cid: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Mercenary (tinyurl.com/elcidcampeador) offers an updated study of the (in)famous epic hero, more myth than man at this point, and his ongoing relevance to Spanish history and politics. In this episode, Dr. Berend discusses what we actually know about the man's life, his transformation as a defining figure of the Reconquista, and the ways his legacy was employed by the Franco regime. That conversation is followed by an excerpt from Dave Whitson's upcoming book, The Camino Compendium, focused on the Portomarín dam and its c...
2025-02-1050 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 86 - The Camino del Norte, Part 1: The Old Rocks and the SeaThe 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 first episode, Dennis Garnhum, author of Toward Beauty: Reigniting a Creative Life on the Camino de Santiago, gets us started with reflections on the first three stages, between Irun and Deba. He is followed by Paul Fee, a geologist who helps explain what's happening in the remarkable flysch of Zumaia and the...
2024-11-181h 37The Camino PodcastEpisode 84 - To Go By Asking: Maryjane Dunn's Life on the CaminoThe Camino magic struck Maryjane Dunn early in life, when she found herself in David Gitlitz's classroom, the foremost American scholar on the Camino de Santiago. She traveled with him on the Camino Francés as part of a student group in 1979, setting in motion a life's work that resulted in her being awarded the 2024 Aymeric Picaud International Prize for her contributions to the Camino. She is the translator of The Sermons and Liturgy of Saint James as well as The Miracles and Translatio of Saint James, which comprise the first three books of the Liber Sancti Jacobi. In this epi...
2024-11-041h 05The Camino PodcastEpisode 83 - One for the RoadBy design, the Camino of the present is a remarkably inclusive pilgrimage. All are welcome. Encouraged even. For many, this is one of its most cherished qualities. Inclusion does, however, bring certain complications. While cultural appropriation is a phenomenon that is much discussed, religious appropriation receives far less consideration, and Liz Bucar (www.lizbucar.com) sought to attend to that in her book Stealing My Religion: Not Just Any Cultural Appropriation. How can non-Catholic pilgrims and walkers approach the Camino in a respectful, appreciative, and historically aware fashion? Note: this will be the last episode of the Camino Podcast for...
2024-06-2850 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 82 - The Camino Primitivo, Part 4: From Lugo to the FrancésWell before the Camino Francés was considered safe to walk, there was the Camino Primitivo, linking Oviedo--the center of a small, Christian enclave that was holding out in the northwest corner of the Iberian peninsula--with Santiago de Compostela and the recently rediscovered relics of St. James. In this four-part series, we will virtually walk the Primitivo together, bringing together experienced pilgrims and relevant experts in each episode. This episode concludes the series, taking us from O Cádavo, through Lugo, and then on toward Santiago following two different options. The official Primitivo continues directly to the Camino Francés in...
2024-05-271h 33The Camino PodcastEpisode 81 - The Camino Primitivo, Part 3: What Shines Atop Alto del Acebo?Well before the Camino Francés was considered safe to walk, there was the Camino Primitivo, linking Oviedo--the center of a small, Christian enclave that was holding out in the northwest corner of the Iberian peninsula--with Santiago de Compostela and the recently rediscovered relics of St. James. In this four-part series, we will virtually walk the Primitivo together, bringing together experienced pilgrims and relevant experts in each episode. Part 3 picks up the Primitivo in Berducedo, descending sharply to the lovely Embalse de Salime, before climbing back up to the Alto del Acebo. At that point, the Primitivo enters Galicia, proceeding t...
2024-05-211h 06The Camino PodcastEpisode 80 - Keynote from the 2024 American Pilgrims Annual Gathering of PilgrimsWhat makes the Camino special? We are often advised today to embrace the fact that it’s “your Camino,” to do it “your” way. While there is certainly some legitimacy to that perspective, it also risks diminishing some of the most meaningful and potent qualities of the experience, qualities that are embedded in the communal nature of pilgrimage. By thinking instead about pilgrimage as both “our Camino” and “their Camino,” and conceiving of ourselves as North Americans as guests joining a larger whole, we can simultaneously respect the traditions and practices of the way, while also increasing the possibilities of a truly transforma
2024-05-1852 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 79 - The Camino Primitivo, Part 2: Asturias, Never Defeated!Well before the Camino Francés was considered safe to walk, there was the Camino Primitivo, linking Oviedo--the center of a small, Christian enclave that was holding out in the northwest corner of the Iberian peninsula--with Santiago de Compostela and the recently rediscovered relics of St. James. In this four-part series, we will virtually walk the Primitivo together, bringing together experienced pilgrims and relevant experts in each episode. Part 2 focuses on a shorter section of the Primitivo, just 41 kilometers between Tineo and Berducedo, but it includes the most famous and talked about walk--the famous Ruta de los Hospitales. Lainey Silver a...
2024-04-231h 25The Camino PodcastEpisode 78 - The Camino Primitivo, Part 1: Walking the First CaminoWell before the Camino Francés was considered safe to walk, there was the Camino Primitivo, linking Oviedo--the center of a small, Christian enclave that was holding out in the northwest corner of the Iberian peninsula--with Santiago de Compostela and the recently rediscovered relics of St. James. In this four-part series, we will virtually walk the Primitivo together, bringing together experienced pilgrims and relevant experts in each episode. Part 1 focuses on the first three stages, between Oviedo and Tineo, covering roughly 70 kilometers. Nadine Karel (www.nadinewalks.com), a two-time Primitivo veteran, offers insights on the route, while Allison Bixby-Bemus discusses h...
2024-04-201h 30The Camino PodcastEpisode 77 - In Praise of DonkeysIf you have walked the Camino, you've encountered donkeys. Sometimes they're looming on a field's far end, watching the world go by, a presence immediately recognizable even from a hundred meters. Sometimes, they're pressed against the barbed wire fence, curious and eager for engagement. And very, very occasionally, you'll see a pilgrim walking with a donkey. This episode features an interview with one such pilgrim, Barbara from Poitiers, France, on her journeys with Dalie on the Camino del Norte and other routes. She is followed by Mark Meyers, the Executive Director of Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue (www.donkeyrescue.org), who...
2024-02-2048 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 76 - Starting the Camino in England, Florida, and TexasOver the last few years, there has been an exciting development, wherein the Santiago archdiocese has collaborated with other routes outside of Spain to offer official "alternative" starting points for the Camino de Santiago, allowing pilgrims to begin their journey closer to home, earn some kilometers towards the 100km requirement, and then pick up the trail in Spain. This episode focuses on three such routes. In the United States, El Camino de San Antonio Missions (caminosanantonio.org) in Texas offers a 30km, established pilgrimage route linking the four historic mission churches and San Antonio's cathedral, while the still-in-progress Camino de...
2024-01-191h 23The Camino PodcastEpisode 75 - The Year in Camino 2023If you want to know what's happening on the Camino, ask a group or forum moderator. Those tireless, kind-hearted shepherds of Camino discourse perform one of the most thankless tasks of the online world, helping to ensure that new pilgrims can hit the Camino with confidence, and that experienced pilgrims can have a place to connect with a shared community. This episode features two prolific moderators--Laurie/peregrina2000 on Ivar's Camino Forum and Paul Garland on the Camino de Santiago All Routes Facebook group--to look back on major developments and overblown issues on the Camino in 2023. We discuss the general state...
2023-12-101h 01The Camino PodcastEpisode 74 - Following the Old Way to CanterburyBeyond Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela, Canterbury stands out as perhaps the most significant pilgrimage destination for Christians in the Middle Ages. While Chaucer famously commemorated the route from London in the Canterbury Tales, pilgrims of course traveled from their homes, following a network of different trails. For centuries, one of those was lost to history, until the Old Way, paralleling the coast from Southampton eastward, was rediscovered on a medieval map. Since then, the pilgrimage has been redeveloped, and this episode explores the route with two recent pilgrims. Gail Simmons (travelscribe.org) walked the Old Way during the p...
2023-12-021h 03The Camino PodcastEpisode 73 - Our Body Is a Healing Machine79 rounds of chemotherapy. 4 radical surgeries. 60% of her liver, ten inches of her colon, 2 inches of her stomach, her right lung, and part of her throat--all gone. And yet, however one measures it, Edie Littlefield Sundby (www.themissionwalker.com), author of The Mission Walker, is a living miracle. After being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2007 and told that she had months to live, Edie took to walking first as a means of survival and later as an act of joy and thanksgiving. In time, this led her to the California Mission Trail, for a journey that spanned 1600 miles across the full...
2023-11-281h 07
The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi#168 You Probably Have Me Blocked with Meecham Whitson MeriweatherWriter Meecham Whitson Meriweather joins us to share the downsides of majoring in architecture, why children should not do standup comedy, and what he doesn’t like about theater kids. We also discuss how curtains are a gateway to exploring your sexuality, getting flack on Twitter for satirical tweets, and being robbed at gunpoint outside of a Kesha concert. We also learn that Russell's preferred role at an orgy is in the corner wearing a mask and Gianmarco shares why countries should not have their own Twitter accounts.
You can watch full video of this episode HERE!
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2023-11-141h 42The Camino PodcastEpisode 72 - The Via Podiensis, Part 10: Pushing on to Saint-JeanLet's walk the Via Podiensis 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. In this tenth and final episode in the series, we finally make it to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, thanks to the combined wisdom of four experienced pilgrims. Robert Deming of Fredericksburg, Texas leads us onward from Aire-sur-l'Adour to Navarrenx, and then three high schoolers from Portland, Oregon pick up the baton from there. After completing the journey to Saint-Jean and discussing the suitability of different endpoin...
2023-06-221h 38The Camino PodcastEpisode 71 - The Via Podiensis, Part 9: Roman Ruins, If You Want ToLet's walk the Via Podiensis 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. In this ninth episode in the series, the Pyrenees are finally breaking the horizon as we continue southward from Condom to Aire-sur-l'Adour. Kevin Greenstreet shares tales from the road, including a visit to the tiniest fortified village in Gers, a lunch he couldn't pass up in Nogaro, and one of the most memorable gites of the whole walk. And since Roman ruins...
2023-05-2658 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 70 - The Via Podiensis, Part 8: Duck!Let's walk the Via Podiensis 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. In this eighth episode in the series, we carry on southward from Moissac with pilgrims Dennis and Laurie Brooke of Tacoma, Washington (www.worldrovers.com), following the canal towards Auvillar, slaloming through the hills to Lectoure, greeting the cats in La Romieu, and finally posing for photos at the entrance to Condom. Many pilgrims in this stretch will find their culinary journeys...
2023-05-221h 13The Camino PodcastEpisode 69 - The Via Podiensis, Part 7: Kill Them All, Let the Historians Sort It OutLet's walk the Via Podiensis 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. In this seventh episode in the series, we finally leave Cahors in the rearview mirror and cross the halfway point en route from Le Puy to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. France Fehr, author of On Foot in France: An Unforgettable Adventure on the Camino de Santiago, shares stories from the walk between Cahors and Moissac, a region that also carries scars from the Albigensian Crusade...
2023-05-101h 24The Camino PodcastEpisode 68 - The Via Podiensis, Part 6: Superlative Overload in the Célé ValleyLet's walk the Via Podiensis 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. In this sixth episode in the series, we make our third and final walk between Figeac and Cahors, this time following the GR651 through the Célé Valley. The route is much beloved by walkers and pilgrims, featuring dramatic cliffs, troglodyte villages, medieval fortifications, and prehistoric cave paintings. Kerri Daniels of Sacramento, California, USA offers insights from her two past forays on the...
2023-04-161h 28The Camino PodcastEpisode 67 - Three Decades of Pilgrim StoriesDr. Nancy Louise Frey was looking for a topic for her doctoral research when she stumbled into Santiago de Compostela around Saint James Day and discovered a very different sort of pilgrimage than she had previously considered. This set in motion a complicated and extensive process of field work, and ultimately culminated in one of the essential Camino books, Pilgrim Stories: On and Off the Road to Santiago, Journeys Along an Ancient Way in Modern Spain. Since then, Nancy has remained deeply connected to the Camino, living in Galicia, studying the impact of digital technologies on pilgrimage (www.walkingtopresence.com...
2023-04-071h 01The Camino PodcastEpisode 66 - The Via Podiensis, Part 5 - RocamadourLet's walk the Via Podiensis 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. In this fifth episode in the series, we find ourselves back in Figeac, for the second of three route options leading pilgrims onward to Cahors, the Rocamadour route. And as the name implies, this variant features one of France's most famous and spectacular pilgrimage shrines, clinging to a cliff overlooking the Alzou Gorge. Prolific pilgrims Sean Morton and Sonya Richmond of Ontario...
2023-03-241h 34The Camino PodcastEpisode 65 - The Via Podiensis, Part 4: The Price of Wine Is Eternal VigilanceLet's re-walk the Via Podiensis 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. In this fourth episode in the series, we arrive at the major decision that pilgrims face on the Via Podiensis: which route to follow from Figeac to Cahors? Bronwen Perry talks us through the default approach for many pilgrims, sticking with the GR65 all the way, strolling through the Causse de Limogne. And while Cahors today is increasingly well known for its...
2023-03-161h 17The Camino PodcastEpisode 64 - A Way of Traveling Without MovingImagine that it is your dream to run an albergue, and then that opportunity comes knocking in the middle of COVID. Do you make the leap? And then imagine that you dive in headfirst, alive with all of the dreams and possibilities of what will be. Even as the pandemic ebbs, though, your reopening is first delayed by family obligations, and then thwarted entirely by necessary repair work. Two years in, your albergue has been closed more than it has been open. This is the story of Giulia Sottanis, the hospitalera at Albergue Izarra in Caborredondo, Spain on the Camino...
2023-03-1348 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 63 - The Via Podiensis, Part 3 - Stolen Relics and Closed MinesLet's walk the Via Podiensis 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. In the third part of this series, we journey today from the Lot River to the Célé River, and from the village of Estaing to the town of Figeac. Bennett Voyles, the author of Onward, Backward! -or- A Ramble to Santiago, joins to help guide us through this section, while offering stories from his family's walk and his own research on th...
2023-03-031h 33The Camino PodcastEpisode 62 - The Via Podiensis, Part 2 - The Aubrac MoodLet's walk the Via Podiensis 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. In this second episode in the series, Melinda Lusmore of I Love Walking in France (www.ilovewalkinginfrance.com) joins to discuss 80 fabulous kilometers of the chemin, linking Aumont-Aubrac and Estaing. While the scenery is stunning, and the villages are charming, the real stars of this section are the Aubrac cattle that grace the fields along the way. In service to that, Michelle...
2023-02-231h 04The Camino PodcastEpisode 61 - Some Things Are Literally PricelessThe Camino that we see and experience today didn't just happen. It reemerged in the second half of the 20th century gradually and then suddenly, through the concerted efforts of devoted visionaries and caretakers like O Cebreiro's Elías Valiña Sampedro. We pilgrims from the English-speaking world are only privy to glimpses of that history, but Laurie Dennett's new book, Waybread: Memories of the Camino for the Onward Journey, is invaluable for filling in some of the gaps. She was there in O Cebreiro with Don Elías. She was there in Rabanal del Camino as the Confraternity turned a r...
2023-02-2057 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 60 - The Via Podiensis, Part 1 - A Saint and His Very Good DogLet's walk the Via Podiensis 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. In this first episode in a new series, Chloe Rose Stuart-Ulin of www.solocamino.com joins to discuss getting started on the pilgrimage from Le Puy-en-Velay, walking through the first four stages to Aumont-Aubrac. After that, Louise Marshall, an art historian from the University of Sydney, shares insights into Saint Roch, a key figure on the French branches of the Camino who...
2023-02-121h 20The Camino PodcastEpisode 59 - Who Are These Dead Guys?Have you ever walked around a cathedral, slack-jawed and amazed, trying to take it all in but realizing you were only scratching the surface? Maybe that happened in Santiago de Compostela. The good news is that Anne Born can tell you what you're missing. Her book, If You Stand Here: A Pilgrim's Tour of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, is packed full of stories that reveal the secrets of the cathedral that are hiding in plain sight, and she shares some of those stories in this episode. Along with that, Dave reads the introduction of his new book, Pilgrimage...
2023-02-051h 03The Camino PodcastEpisode 58 - In Pursuit of Wild GeeseThe Camino de Santiago has often been characterized as a sort of palimpsest--a foundation upon which layers of stories have been created and shared over the years. As new dominant narratives take hold, older ones fade to the margins, less obvious but still visible to those who can learn to see the signs. In The Way of the Wild Goose: Three Pilgrimages Following Geese, Stars, and Hunches on the Camino de Santiago, Beebe Bahrami shares her own initiatory journey--a pursuit of insights into the historically significant role played by the goose, in a story that is equal parts mystery and...
2023-01-291h 04
Mrparka's Weekly Reviews and Update/ The Secret Top 10Mrparka’s Weekly Reviews Episode 256 (Audio Version)Links
www.youtube.com/mrparka
https://www.instagram.com/mrparka/
https://twitter.com/mrparka00
http://www.screamingtoilet.com/dvd--blu-ray
https://www.facebook.com/mrparka
https://www.facebook.com/screamingpotty/
https://letterboxd.com/mrparka/
https://www.patreon.com/mrparka
https://open.spotify.com/show/2oJbmHxOPfYIl92x5g6ogK
https://anchor.fm/mrparka
https://www.stitcher.com/show/shut-up-brandon-podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mrparkas-weekly-reviews-and-update-the-secret-top-10/id1615278571
Video Version - https://youtu.be/6IGOSOvHkmI
Time Stamps 0:00
Secret Top 10 and Bruce Willis – 0:12
“Torment...
2022-04-061h 36
Power Adulting Podcast# 068 A Simple Way to Wealth with Certified Financial Planner ~ Casey WhitsonToday we’re thrilled to take a complex topic like wealth building and make it so understandable even El's fear, stress, and anxiety disappeared. We are talking with Casey Whitson a certified financial planner who is also a behavior coach because she believes that your mind is the most important tool for investment success.What you'll learn in this episode is: How the markets really work.What you get when you buy stocks.The average return over the last 200 years.How you can beat the ravages of high inflation. Why most investors earn far less than they...
2022-01-2758 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 57 - Muslim on the CaminoIn 2007, Sedat Çakır set out to walk the Camino de Santiago. Before he departed, he decided to seek out a pilgrim blessing from the local bishop in Amsterdam. There's nothing particularly unusual about that story... aside from the fact that Sedat is a Sufi and the Camino, of course, has a very complicated history with Islam! While Sedat set out originally just to make a satisfying long-distance walk, his purpose evolved as he learned more, and it soon grew into a journey oriented towards interfaith dialogue. And in the aftermath of that pilgrimage, another new goal opened up before him...
2021-04-2751 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 56 - Banaras and Pandharpur: Two Indian Pilgrimage ShrinesSo you think the Camino is crowded? You should check out pilgrimage in India. It holds the record for the largest single-day attendance at a pilgrimage event--an estimated 50 million people at the Kumbh Mela in 2019. This episode explores pilgrimage in India through a closer examination of two sacred cities: Banaras and Pandharpur. Dr. Diana Eck, author of Banaras: City of Light and India: A Sacred Geography, shares insights on the former, while Deepak Phadnis, author of Pandharpur Wari: A Walking Pilgrimage to Pandharpur, describes his walk to the latter. This introduction to Indian pilgrimage also offers a useful lens through wh...
2021-03-141h 23The Camino PodcastEpisode 55 - Beverly's StoryBeverly Chalman of Tennessee set out to walk the Camino Francés with her daughter in June 2019. Traveling from Tennessee to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port was an exhausting process, with overnight stops in New York City and London, and that first day of walking was similarly taxing. It was on the second day, though, when her pilgrimage veered in a life-changing direction. This is her story.
2021-03-0150 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 54 - A Pilgrimage to Lourdes163 years ago, the Virgin Mary is said to have made a series of appearances before a young Bernadette Soubirous in a grotto in the French Pyrenean town of Lourdes. Some 200 million pilgrims and 70 "official" miracles later, Lourdes stands as one of the world's major Catholic pilgrimage sites, known in particular for that association with miraculous healing. This episode features stories from two different pilgrims to Lourdes. Marlene Watkins, the foundress of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American Volunteers (lourdesvolunteers.org), has led many groups of volunteers and ill pilgrims to the town. Meanwhile, Lauren Selden visited Lourdes as a...
2021-02-231h 24The Camino PodcastEpisode 53 - Pilgrimage and the EnvironmentA major part of the power and magic of pilgrimage is how it immerses us in the natural world. While the physical shrines are human built, they're often situated in places of natural splendor. In that way, pilgrimage and the environment are inextricably connected. This episode is a deep dive into that relationship from a few different perspectives. Up first, you'll hear from Yeb Saño, a leading environmental activist in Southeast Asia who has now led multiple climate pilgrimages in the Philippines and Europe. Then, two professors--Kiran Shinde and Daniel Olson--join me to discuss their research on the relationship b...
2021-02-191h 33The Camino PodcastEpisode 52 - Tales from Two Houses in SantiagoRight now, as we all long to be able to travel to Santiago de Compostela once more, many of us are thinking about our absence from that sacred place. What about those who remain present in Santiago, though--those who have organized their lives to a considerable degree around attending to pilgrims as they arrive in the city. What have their lives been like during the pandemic and what are they seeing in Santiago right now, deep in the winter (recorded late January, 2021), when reasons for optimism and pessimism seem to clash on a daily basis? This episode focuses on the...
2021-01-311h 15The Camino PodcastEpisode 51 - Rewalking the Camino InglésLet's walk the Camino Inglés together! As in the series on the Camino Francés, this episode features conversations among three experienced pilgrims as they sling stories from the road, share personal highlights, and gnash teeth about route changes. Dave is joined this time by Johnnie Walker, author of the Confraternity of Saint James's guide to the Camino Inglés and many others, and Sean Hampton, his long-time colleague. Spanning just 120km from Ferrol to Santiago de Compostela, the Camino Inglés is a great choice if you have limited time but still want to walk a "complete" pilgrimage. Let...
2021-01-2051 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 50 - Facing Our Colonial LegaciesAfter learning about pilgrimage's potential as a peace-building initiative in Episode 49, we now turn to its capacity to promote reconciliatory efforts within a colonial context. Academic and religious leaders are doing this work right now, and this episode focuses on initiatives coordinated by Dr. Matthew Anderson in Canada (www.somethinggrand.ca), and by Jenny Boyack and John Hornblow in New Zealand (www.pilgrimagenz.nz). Combined, they highlight how pilgrimage can provide a space to build a deeper, shared understanding between people and also a closer relationship with the land.
2021-01-181h 25The Camino PodcastEpisode 49 - Peace Building Through PilgrimagePilgrimage has the power to change the world and we're only just beginning to understand its potential. One aspect of this is pilgrimage as a peace-building initiative: an act that can help span cultural and religious divides and promote reconciliation. Dr. Ian McIntosh is part of a growing body of researchers studying this phenomenon, and he documents his experiences and insights in his book, Pilgrimage: Walking to Peace, Walking for Change. In this episode, Ian takes us around the world on a quick survey of some of the places where this potential is on display.
2021-01-1059 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 48 - Rewalking the Pilgrimage to Finisterre and MuxíaLet's re-walk the Camino 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. After having completed our full re-walk of the Camino Francés, we'll follow our many pilgrim peers onward to the coast, walking towards Finisterre and Muxía. I'm joined in this journey by two pilgrims, Terri Stefanson and Irene Lipshin. Terri is the chapter co-coordinator for the Southern Oregon chapter of APOC, while Irene writes about her pilgrimages at walkingthroughtheages.com.
2021-01-031h 13The Camino PodcastEpisode 47 - Into the ThinIn his upcoming pilgrim memoir, Into the Thin: A Pilgrimage Walk Across Northern Spain, author Stephen Drew (www.authorstephendrew.com) narrates how he was called to the Camino Francés in the wake of a year that he characterizes as an "emotional crucifixion." In this extended discussion of his journey, Stephen speaks to companionship on the Camino, his processing of guilt, shame, and more personal tragedies than anyone should have to endure, and the insights he ultimately arrived at in Finisterre. Ultimately, it's the story of a walk through the thin places on the Camino de Santiago, a walk towards lo...
2020-07-1354 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 46 - The Newest Guidebooks to the Camino FrancésFrom a guidebook perspective, it's a great time to be a pilgrim. On the Camino Francés, in particular, there is a growing assortment of outstanding and complementary guidebooks, along with a wealth of other support materials to help inform one's pilgrimage. Over the last year, two new contenders have joined the array of English-language offerings: the Moon Camino de Santiago guide, written by Beebe Bahrami, and the completely overhauled Cicerone Camino de Santiago - Camino Francés book, by Sandy Brown. This episode centers on a conversation with Sandy and Beebe, about guidebooks generally, the pivotal decisions that guidebook au...
2020-07-091h 09The Camino PodcastEpisode 45 - Santiago vs TeresaIn 17th-century Spain, Santiago faced his greatest threat to date. While the Reconquista was well in the past, his new rival was a Carmelite nun, born Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, but known to history as Teresa of Avila. Soon after Teresa died, and well before she was canonized, a movement grew to elevate her to serve as co-patron saint of Spain, alongside James. Santiago's advocates, however, were stridently opposed. This episode explores that struggle with the professor who wrote the book on it, Dr. Erin Rowe, author of State and Nation: Santiago, Teresa of Avila, and Plural Id...
2020-07-0653 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 44 - How to Write a Pilgrimage MemoirIf you've been called to the Camino, odds are that you've also been called to write about your pilgrimage. Whether your goal is to write for yourself, cementing lessons learned; to write for your friends and family, laying bare a difficult-to-explain experience; or to pursue publication, the underlying impulse is likely the same--to endeavor to translate the profound into words. But it can be difficult to get started! Fortunately, in this episode, two great Camino authors, Beth Jusino (bethjusino.com, caminotimestwo.com) and Steve Watkins (stevewatkins.org), share their expertise and offer shrewd advice on how to make it happen.
2020-07-0259 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 43 - The Winter Pilgrim & North American PilgrimageAnn Sieben, aka the Winter Pilgrim, is a mendicant pilgrim and a founder of the Society of Servant Pilgrims. Over the last 13 years she has walked 43,000 miles through 55 different countries. In this episode, we discuss her pilgrimage origins, the development of her identity as a 'mendicant' pilgrim, and her crossing of the Darién Gap. Special attention is paid to her notable expertise in North American pilgrimages, with particular emphasis on the St. Rose Philippine pilgrimage in Missouri, USA.
2020-06-291h 14
The FAITH + FITNESS Podcast by FAITH RXDRemembering Becky Conzelman | Eyes on JesusToday, we’re going to take some time to remember our fearless Co-founder, friend, and Conzel-mom, Becky Conzelman. We won’t lie, not having her infectious energy and light around this year has been hard for whole community, and it has taught us so much about what it means to trust God in all circumstances. As some may remember, and for those of you who didn’t have a chance to meet her, will learn, Becky loved competing and CrossFit, but she loved God and people more, in that order. Earlier this week...
2020-04-0655 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 42 - The CoronaCaminoSeemingly every aspect of life has been upended by the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic and that includes pilgrimage. This episode examines the interrupted journeys of four pilgrims, along with a look at the impact of the Camino Forum on the decision-making process of those pilgrims and many others. While that might sound like a bleak episode on the surface, the pilgrims involved meet their setbacks with resilience and humor, and their stories are each striking in their own way.
2020-03-271h 18The Camino PodcastEpisode 41 - The CrosswayIn 2013, Guy Stagg departed his London home on New Year's Day and then began a pilgrimage from Canterbury, not only to Rome, but then onward to Jerusalem. In his account of that pilgrimage, The Crossway, Guy weaves a fascinating, dramatic, and profound narrative, marked by evenings spent in monasteries and convents, reflections on faith and healing, and jarring encounters with political instability. In this episode, Guy further explores some of the central themes of his journey, including loneliness, suffering, and belief.
2020-01-1558 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 40 - The Camino in Novel and PoemWe are living in a boom time for Camino-related books, with new publications hitting the virtual shelves seemingly every week. And yet, these are overwhelming memoir or historical-cultural in approach; to this point, relatively few works have explored the pilgrimage through the lens of fiction or poetry. Gradually, though, we are starting to see authors dip into those realms, and this episode features two such writers. Up first is Ashlee Cowles, the American author of the YA-novel Beneath Wandering Stars, which centers on two young pilgrims on the Camino. She is followed by David McLoghlin, an Irish poet whose collection...
2020-01-0655 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 39 - The Camino Francés, Part 5Let'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. At long last, we reach Santiago de Compostela in this episode, after navigating the six final stages of the Francés. Sherry Kirkham of Ontario, Canada joins me for the first half, walking from O Cebreiro to Portomarín, and we talk about everything from squash soup to siesta failures to giant student groups. She's followed by Graham English of Alberta, Can...
2020-01-051h 11The Camino PodcastEpisode 38 - The Kumano KodoThere are two UNESCO World Heritage pilgrimage routes--Spain's Camino de Santiago, of course, and Japan's Kumano Kodo. The latter's long and storied history rival's the former's, but it has only really appeared on the radars of Western pilgrims over the last decade or so. Like the Camino, the Kumano Kodo is really a series of connected routes, oriented in this case towards several prominent shrines, most notably Kumano Hongu Taisha. This episode offers an introduction to the Kumano Kodo, thanks to the insights of Mike Rhodes, the Destination Manager & Guide for the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau, and Greg Ng, a...
2019-12-2054 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 37 - Phil Cousineau's Art of PilgrimagePhil Cousineau's The Art of Pilgrimage is an international bestseller in at least ten languages and for more than two decades it has served as an introduction and handbook for many pilgrims on how to get the most out of their journey. In this episode, Phil reflects on the book's impact and offers deep insights into the phenomenon of pilgrimage, including some practical advice on how to be more perceptive, engaged, and aware travelers.
2019-12-1857 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 36 - The Story of GaliciaGalicia, the northwest corner of Spain and the home of Santiago de Compostela, is beloved by most pilgrims. It is a place ensconced in legend, with stories ranging from its Celtic origins to the persistence of witches and the Santa Compaña. This episode explores the region's history and stories. Dr. Sharif Gemie, author of Galicia: A Concise History, provides a survey of Galicia from its disputed origins to its contemporary cultural resurgence. Dr. Kristin Valentine follows with a description of two local pilgrimages, or romerías, to Muxía and Teixido. Combined, they are likely to challenge some of you...
2019-12-1455 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 35 - From Vézelay to HeavenEdwin Mullins has spent the better part of his life associated with the Camino de Santiago, with his first book on the subject--The Pilgrimage to Santiago--appearing in 1974. In his more recent publication, The Four Roads to Heaven: France and the Santiago Pilgrimage, Mullins lays out the history and highlights of the four major Chemins de Saint-Jacques. This episode features a conversation with Mullins about his experiences with the Camino, spanning more than five decades, focusing in particular on those French routes. Given his particular love of Vézelay, the episode then explores that chemin in greater detail with John Newman, a...
2019-12-1154 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 34 - How Strange It Will Be To Come HomeWhile walking the Camino de Santiago is demanding in and of itself, the completion of pilgrimage poses a special challenge. The mixed emotions a pilgrim often feels when arriving in Santiago are often a precursor to the prolonged slump that can occur at home. This episode focuses on the process of return, and the steps a pilgrim can take to make their pilgrimage a genuinely transformative experience--should they so desire it! Alexander John Shaia, author of Returning from Camino, offers practical advice alongside of his own story, to help guide pilgrims through each part of the process. He is followed...
2019-12-091h 04The Camino PodcastEpisode 33 - Volunteering on the WayMost people only experience the Camino as pilgrims. However, there are many ways to engage with the pilgrim road, and a number of these include rich volunteer opportunities. This episode focuses on three different possibilities. The Ditch Pigs are an annual clean-up crew, organized by Rebekah Scott, and two members of this year's group--Amelia and Jim--bring us into the middle of the action. The most common form of giving back for pilgrims is to serve as hospitaleros; Julie-Ann Milne trains hospitaleros in Sydney, Australia, and she discusses what the work entails and why it matters. Finally, it's also possible to...
2019-12-021h 08The Camino PodcastEpisode 32 - Veterans on the CaminoSoldiers are hardly a new phenomenon on the Camino de Santiago; indeed, the pilgrimage originated hand in glove with the military initiative to reconquer the Iberian peninsula from the Moors. Today, though, a new movement is taking place to bring more veterans to pilgrimage, as a potential rite of passage to mark their re-entry into civilian life. Brad Genereux has been a key catalyst in this work, taking his own experience--which he wrote about in A Soldier to Santiago--and extending it outward to others through his organization, Veterans on the Camino. Dan Huvane, a US marine, was part of a 2018...
2019-12-011h 04The Camino PodcastEpisode 31 - John & RebekahThe Camino de Santiago has a powerful gravitational pull. It draws many back for multiple pilgrimages; in some cases, it reorganizes individuals' lives. That is certainly the case for the two people featured in this episode. John Brierley first walked the Camino three decades ago. In that first pilgrimage, he quickly realized he would become a guidebook writer, and indeed, he has become the most read English-language author in that realm (see caminoguides.com for more). Rebekah Scott, meanwhile, moved to Moratinos, Spain--a small town in the meseta on the Camino Francés--many years ago. She is deeply involved in m...
2019-11-221h 03The Camino PodcastIntroducing: Sea to Shining Sea PodcastPardon the bait and switch, but this is not a new episode of the Camino Podcast. (It'll be back, I swear!) Instead, I'd like to share the first episode of my new podcast series, Sea to Shining Sea, focused on the American Discovery Trail--the first coast-to-coast, non-motorized trail across the USA. In this episode, I interview one of the route's founders, Eric Seaborg, and then the first continuous through-hikers of the route, Ken and Marcia Powers (aka "Gottawalk"). Future episodes will be posted to a different Soundcloud/iTunes account, but I wanted to make sure as many people as possible...
2019-08-051h 09The Camino PodcastEpisode30 - Biking the CaminoWhile walking pilgrims remain the dominant demographic on the Camino, bike pilgrims constitute an increasingly significant part of the community. Despite--or perhaps because of that--a great deal of tension exists between the two groups, and dialogue is often limited to a dinging bike bell and a "buen camino." This episode digs into the bike pilgrim experience, focusing both on practical considerations that anyone contemplating this approach should factor into their planning, as well as broader reflections on the walker-biker dynamic. David Landis, author of the Camino Guidebook and also CaminoCyclist.com, and Doug Werme, a prolific bike pilgrim and Camino...
2017-06-241h 11
321Go PodcastEp 101 | Dave Whitson on Happy Productivity, Turning a Hobby into a Business, and Relentless MarketingDave Whitson is the Owner and Head Coach of CrossFit Soar in Hawthorn New Jersey.
Dave shares the story of taking over an affiliate with 20 people attending and 12 people paying. From there, Dave took a look at membership and asked himself “who do I want to fill my gym with?”
Dave also shares with us ways that he builds and sells his specialty courses. He gives some tips and tricks on marketing and filling up his courses.
Follow Dave on Instagram @crossfitsoar and Facebook CrossFit Soar. http://crossfitsoar.com/
2017-04-1857 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode29 - How I Spent My SummerAlong with hosting the Camino Podcast, Dave Whitson is also the co-author of The Northern Caminos guidebook with Laura Perazzoli. In this episode, Dave and Laura reflect on their summer spent re-walking the Caminos del Norte, Primitivo, and Inglés, and also their first experiences on the Ruta do Mar, Camino Salvador, Camino Vasco, and Ruta Vadiniense. Along the way, they share stories detailing a dog attack, an encounter with the True Cross, and the best albergue ever.
2016-11-081h 26The Camino PodcastEpisode28 - Franco and CompostelaThe Generalissimo Francisco Franco ruled Spain for the better part of four decades and had a profound impact on the country over that time. He also had a tremendous impact on the Camino de Santiago. Indeed, his time in power coincides with the acceleration of the Camino's rebirth, which kicked off in earnest in 1879 and culminated in the Jubilee year of 1993. Dr. Stanley Payne is one of Franco's biographers and in this episode he shares his expertise on Franco's rise to power and relationship with the Church, with some specific consideration of Franco's impact on several places relevant to the...
2016-11-061h 05The Camino PodcastEpisode27 - Johnnie Walker's SantiagoJohnnie Walker is one of the most prominent names associated with the Camino de Santiago these days. Ever since moving to Santiago de Compostela, Johnnie has taken an active role in re-shaping the English-speaking pilgrim's experience in the city, and he has recently emerged as a prolific guidebook author as well. In this episode, Johnnie shares how he got started as a pilgrim, picked up his nom de plume, and his affection for the Camino Inglés. He's followed by our first return guest, Brian Bouldrey, whose new anthology, Inspired Journeys: Travel Writers in Search of the Muse, explores the c...
2016-11-0558 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode26 - Training Tips & Winter WalkingWhile 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 i...
2016-10-2259 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode25 - The Camino Francés, Part 4Let'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 notab...
2016-10-191h 20The Camino PodcastEpisode24 - Round Trip (and Bed Bugs!)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...
2016-10-021h 12The Camino PodcastEpisode23 - The PioneersDavid 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.
2016-08-291h 03The Camino PodcastEpisode22 - The Camino Francés, Part 3Let'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 Fie...
2016-06-221h 07The Camino PodcastEpisode21 - The Camino Francés, Part 2Let'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 r...
2016-06-2259 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode 20 - Walking The CaminoWalking 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...
2016-06-151h 18The Camino PodcastEpisode19 - The Via FrancigenaWhile 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...
2016-06-131h 24The Camino PodcastEpisode18 - Walking California's MissionsOne 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...
2016-06-111h 02The Camino PodcastEpisode17 - How To Read A ChurchThe 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 C...
2016-05-311h 13The Camino PodcastEpisode16 - A Musical PilgrimagePilgrimage has long held a close connection with music, but the present is showing signs of recapturing the brilliance of its medieval peak. This episode features three distinct manifestations of that trend. First, Ellen Waterston (www.writingranch.com) discusses the upcoming world premiere of her Camino opera, Vía Láctea, taking place in Bend, Oregon June 10-12. Then, Dane Johansen, an acclaimed cellist, shares his story of walking the Camino Francés with his cello on his back, performing in churches along the way (www.walktofisterra.com). Finally, Frederick Sheppard talks about the Camino Artes initiative (www.caminoartes.org), whi...
2016-05-2953 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode15 - The Camino Frances, Part 1Let'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. In this episode, conversations center on the first six stages of the Camino Francés. Cathy Diaz reflects on the first part of the pilgrimage, between St Jean Pied de Port and Pamplona/Cizur Menor, and then Rebecca Gallo picks it up from there, carrying on to Los Arcos.
2016-05-241h 14The Camino PodcastEpisode14 - Walking With FamilyImagine walking on the Camino with a parent, a child, or a spouse. Many pilgrims are making their adventure all the more intense by mixing family with pilgrimage, and this episode examines that experience. First, Capitan Bradley (author of Man of a Certain Age) and Brianna Hill describe walking the Camino Francés as a father-daughter duo. Then, Bob and Cindi Klee reflect on their time spent walking the same route together as a married couple. Both pilgrim pairs offer some suggestions for those aspiring to make a similar trek.
2016-05-231h 06The Camino PodcastEpisode13 - Roland And El CidThe Camino Francés cuts through a region rich in history and legend, and those two are interwoven in the two great epic poems set in part along the way: The Song of Roland and the Poem of El Cid. John K. Moore Jr., an Associate Professor of Spanish and Camino expert helps to contextualize these poems--and the Camino--within their historical era, highlighting the way that Roland, El Cid, and even Santiago fit within the Christian reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula.
2016-05-2056 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode12 - The Power Of StoriesThe Camino inspires a lot of stories. Why? Brian Bouldrey, a senior lecturer in Northwestern University's English Department and the keynote speaker at this year's APOC National Gathering, suggests in this episode that, for modern pilgrims, storytelling offers a new way of "walking" back home. Meanwhile, Mathew Kuefler, a medieval history professor at San Diego State University, shares some stories from O Cebreiro's peak in the Middle Ages, focusing in particular on the Eucharist miracle and claims of the Holy Grail. (Download Dr. Kuefler's article on the subject here: http://tinyurl.com/jcxhltj)
2016-02-2458 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode11 - Home On The CaminoHave you ever dreamed--maybe a fleeting thought, maybe a nagging desire--of uprooting yourself from wherever "home" is and relocating to the Camino? This episode focuses on two pilgrims who made the move. In 2005, Rom Bates and his wife Aideen moved from Ireland to Moissac, France, in order to open a gite d'etape--Gite Ultreia--on the GR-65 (http://www.ultreiamoissac.com/). A year later, Rebekah Scott and her husband Paddy left Pittsburgh, USA and established the "Peaceable Kingdom" in Moratinos, Spain, on the Camino Francés (http://moratinoslife.blogspot.com/). Rebekah has subsequently published her first novel, The Moorish Whore, which focuses o...
2016-02-071h 08The Camino PodcastEpisode10 - Off The Road, On The WayJack Hitt's Off the Road: A Modern-day Walk Down the Pilgrim's Route into Spain is one of the earliest English-language pilgrimage accounts from the contemporary resurgence of the Camino, focused on Jack's walk in 1991. It also became a source of inspiration for Emilio Estevez's film, The Way, and readers of the book will quickly recognize characters and patches of dialogue in the movie. Jack offers a number of reflections on his experiences on the Camino in 1981, 1991, and 2013, as well as some insights into the nature and meaning of pilgrimage. The episode also features an interview with Jessica Johnson, who has...
2016-01-311h 17The Camino PodcastEpisode9 - The Basque CountryIf your Camino begins in St Jean Pied-de-Port, or Roncesvalles, or even Pamplona, then it also begins in the Basque Country. Spread across southern France and northern Spain, the Basque Country is the ancestral—and contemporary—homeland of the Basque people, an indigenous European ethnic group with a long and fascinating history. To gain some understanding of what makes the Basques unique, this episode features an interview with Mark Kurlansky (www.markkurlansky.com), author of The Basque History of the World, as well as Joxelu of Beilari, an albergue located in St. Jean Pied de Port (www.beilari.info).
2016-01-1949 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode8 - On Blisters And SnoringThis episode focuses on two central annoyances of the pilgrimage experience: blisters and snoring. While we can continue to dream of a world in which neither exists, reality demands that we pursue strategies to both prevent and treat these maladies. To help us out, John Vonhof, author of Fixing Your Feet (http://www.fixingyourfeet.com/), shares strategies for achieving optimal foot health, while Dr. Soroush Zaghi of Stanford University (http://www.sleepsurgeon.com/) offers insights into snoring.
2016-01-1956 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode7 - From Santiago To JerusalemDavid Landis and Anna Dintaman are the co-authors of two guidebooks, Village to Village Guides to the Camino de Santiago (hikingthecamino.com) and the Jesus Trail in Israel (jesustrail.com). They share their background as guidebook authors, and also their perspectives as experienced hikers and trailblazers in the Middle East. Beyond the Jesus Trail, they have also worked extensively with the Abraham Path Initiative, a long-distance walking route that spans many countries in the region (abrahampath.org). This episode also features an episode with Gary Yee, who shares his reflections from his pilgrimage on the Camino Francés last summer (g...
2016-01-091h 09The Camino PodcastEpisode6 - On The Primitive WayLandon Roussel's recently-published On the Primitive Way (http://www.ontheprimitiveway.com/) tells the story of his relationship with his brother, Cory--a relationship long strained by Cory's struggles with addiction--and their pilgrimage on the Camino Primitivo. In this episode, Landon talks more about his experience on the Primitivo and the ways that pilgrimage offers room for healing and reconciliation. He's followed by Rachel Grimes, who shares some stories from her pilgrimage on the Camino Francés, and some thoughts specifically on common Camino expressions, like "the Camino provides." Finally, Dave offers some thoughts on 2015 pilgrim statistics from Santiago, and the rise o...
2016-01-031h 11The Camino PodcastEpisode5 - Who Was St James?While legends surround Santiago, or St. James the Elder, the historical record has very little to say about him. What do we actually know? Dr. Harold Attridge, a Sterling Professor of Divinity at Yale Divinity School, brings us up to speed on the Apostle James. Then, Merka Martin shares some stories from her recent pilgrimage on the Camino Francés. The episode concludes with some reading suggestions for fictional works set on the Camino de Santiago.
2015-12-2356 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode4 - Phil's CaminoPhil Volker and Annie O'Neil describe their new documentary film, Phil's Camino (http://philscamino.com/), focused on the story behind Phil's pilgrimages in Vashon Island, Washington and on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, all while living with stage 4 cancer. The film is currently in the final production stages and is running an Indiegogo campaign, Finishing Funds for Phil's Camino (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/finishing-funds-for-phil-s-camino#/), to support the effort.
2015-12-2058 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode3 - Way Of St FrancisSandy Brown, the author of the brand new guidebook to Italy's Way of St. Francis (http://tinyurl.com/ptpfvx8) and the Caminoist blog (http://caminoist.org/) describes this emerging pilgrimage and reflects on the guidebook-writing experience. Maria Slade, a high schooler, shares some moving stories from her pilgrimage over the summer on the Via Podiensis in France. And, Zina Bell offers some gear advice!
2015-12-141h 03
The Camino PodcastEpisode2 - APOC, #Pilgrimstrong, and SarongsToday's episode features three guests: Cheryl Grasmoen, the board chair of the American Pilgrims on the Camino, talks about how APOC (http://www.americanpilgrims.org/) supports American pilgrims and the Camino more broadly. Steve Watkins (http://truthalongtheway.com/) offers some stories from his recent pilgrimage on the Camino Francés. And, Christina Collins espouses the virtues of sarongs.
2015-12-1254 minThe Camino PodcastEpisode1 - Introducing the PodcastAn introduction to the Camino Podcast, featuring an overview of the program's focus on the Camino de Santiago and pilgrimage more broadly. Dave shares three personal stories from the road, focused on pilgrimages in Spain, Italy, and Norway
2015-12-121h 01
The Harper DecadeUnder Attack: Canada’s Public Service Under Stephen HarperCanadian politics scholar Dave Whitson explains how the Harper government's stubborn idealogical distaste for social science has undermined both the effectiveness and spirit of Canada's once robust public service.
2015-09-2408 minThe Harper DecadeUnder Attack: Canada’s Public Service Under Stephen Harper
Dave Whitson recently retired after teaching Canadian Politics and Canadian Studies at the University of Alberta for many years. Over decades of talking with students, he came to understand that the career aspirations of intelligent young Canadians were telling indicators of important changes in our society.
Michael Harris begins his recent book on Stephen Harper, Party of One, with an anecdote from the Conservative victory party in 2011, when Stephen Harper finally won a majority mandate. An unnamed “senior Conservative” is quoted as offering the following comment on what was a surprisingly muted celebration: “This is still a Libera...
2015-09-2408 min
Cash Car ConvertCCC056: Ron Whitson - Beating Debt with a Cash Car or TwoThis is a special episode for me! I'm getting to interview a friend I've know for about 10 years. He and I have played tennis with and against each other. His name is Ron Whitson. Ron is a class guy, and it is my honor to call him friend. A while back, I was on Facebook posting about my show. Ron was online and saw the post. He quizzed me about what I was doing. I explained my passion for helping people drive cash cars. Ron informed me he too was a cash car c...
2015-01-301h 13