The Camino Cafe
The Camino Cafe
106 - Camino News Update 2/14/24 with Leigh Brennan and Johnnie Walker
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Hello Pilgrims, it's Wednesday, february 14th. Happy Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday. Well, we're coming to you live from Santiago de Compostela and the Camino Routes, via De La Plata and Finasterre. I'm Lee Brennan, johnny Walker and our Pilgrim reporters. They'll be joining us shortly. Well, let's get to it.
Speaker 1:Exciting news this week the sequel to the Way just announced that secured funding and pre-production is already underway. The storyline has our favorite Tom, you know, portrayed by Martin Sheen, as he embarks on a gripping journey to find his pilgrim friend, jack, after Jack puts out a book about their time on pilgrimage over 10 years ago. The movie is going to be set in diverse locations, including Northern Nigeria, amsterdam, dublin and, of course, spain, and it promises some thrilling twists. Congrats to Emilio Martin and team. Stay tuned for further updates as production advances. Well, santiago has been so alive over the past week, with all the vibrant spirit of Mardi Gras. The city has just been sparkling in colorful lights and ranger-inch streets. The nightly parades have been really captivating for all of us here in Old Town, and they may have just kept us up a little later at night. Tourist numbers have surged in Santiago this week from Mardi Gras activities, and so let's check in with Johnny Walker for his report and see what pilgrim arrival numbers look like.
Speaker 2:Hello Lee, hello everybody, this is John speaking to you in the period of Carnival. I've been wearing that face mask lots in the last few days. Carnival is the period that comes before Lenc starts on Ash Wednesday. Here in Galicia, people take this tradition very seriously indeed and there's much laughing and joking, dancing in the streets, orchestras, concerts, children dancing, children's parades, children's choirs, choirs singing all over the town, and it's a great time of the year. Here in Galicia, the tradition of Carnival goes away back before Christian times when in this farming region, people look forward to spring and the new season of growth, leading hopefully to an abundant harvest.
Speaker 2:But looking at the weather this time we've had seven warnings of serious flooding in Santiago and the weather hasn't let us down and if you can see, look at the forecast the rain will be with us for some time yet. So, spear a thought for those pilgrims walking, and many have arrived in the last week. Let me just look at this 549 compostellers have been issued by the Pilgrims Office here. That's 3,100 compostellers issued since the 1st of January. Now the key thing is are numbers going up or going down? Well, they're going up and you can look at this all the time on the Pilgrim Office website in the statistics section and, as you can see, so far this year, 8% more pilgrims than last year and we think, we think that trend might continue, but it's a little early yet.
Speaker 2:So, going back to Carnival, tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday. Some of you might know this as Fat Tuesday, and the word Carnival comes from the Latin Carnem Lovari, to eliminate meat. Well, here in Galathea they don't eliminate meat too easily, and so tomorrow would be the traditional day of eating a Cotido Gallego, which has got parts of the pig from all parts and, as they say, we eat the pig even the squeal. So let's finish this little news bulletin in the spirit of Carnival. Thank you very much. All the best.
Speaker 1:Alright, let's check in with two pilgrims who are currently walking out to Finasterre from Santiago. I'd like to introduce you to Roy and Parosh.
Speaker 3:Welcome. This is a very special place because in the middle age the Church of Santiago wants to have the control of the bridge. Why? Because in the middle age everybody needs to pay to go across the river. So if you have the control of the river, you have the control of the taxis. That means money. We are on the way to the greater first stage on the Finasterre Camino Wine break. If you walk the Camino in Galicia, please do not forget to get some alvarino on your way. You can choose to go there too, it doesn't matter, but get some wine, of course, otherwise you will be not walking the Camino in Galicia. How is the weather? How is the weather Wet? The weather is wet, of course. How many pilgrims did we meet Last year or in my life Today? Roy oh, today, that is a professional question.
Speaker 3:Today, I have met non-kilbians so you can walk your own all the way through it. Yes, I do recommend it Walking winter. Don't come in summertime, not even in spring. The best modes to walk the Camino January, february, beginning of March. Don't choose any other month, please.
Speaker 1:And now for a segment we like to call when in Santiago. Well, if you are here and you are creating a quick buy in Old Town, head to El Traybol. It's just off plaza Cervantes, you know. As you come in off the Frances, and boy, they have mouth watering and panadas Impanadas, by the way, originated from Galicia and Portugal, and these savory pastries offer a taste of history, with fillings like meats and seafood, cheese and veggies. Our taste testing team has been raving over the past couple of weeks about the generous and high quality fillings, the crispy exteriors and the flaky interiors. My favorite, the vegetarian with lentils, yum. And the best part of it all is you can enjoy an empanada and a beer for just under six euro Delicious dining that won't break your budget. When in Santiago, let's head to the Via della Plata and hear how Rocco and Lindsay are doing this week.
Speaker 4:Thanks, Lee. Look what the Gato dragged in. I'm here with Lindsay himself. We have a crossover promotion today. We're in Samora. I've caught up to him. Well, he let me catch up to him. He stayed here an extra day and tell the crowd what you're planning next, Lindsay, because you've decided this isn't for you. You're going alternative.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so I looked at the weather forecast and all I can see is cold, wet and windy, and, being from Australia, that's not something that I really like to do, so I'm going to head down and do the. How do I say it?
Speaker 3:Mozarab.
Speaker 5:Mozarab from.
Speaker 4:Almaria, almaria, through to Granada and Cordoba and all of those amazing places.
Speaker 5:And probably end up in Marida. And then I decide what to do next.
Speaker 4:And I'm going to, as my son says, embrace the suck and keep going north. I'll be heading for the Santa Braz and tonight we met a new pilgrim We've neither of us met before Daniel from the Netherlands. He's also going to be doing the Santa Braz. So that's just part of the nature of the Camino. As in life, people come in and out of your life and the important thing is to be in the present. Enjoy every moment. We've had lunch, we just made dinner together, sharing a couple of beers, and just the beauty of the Camino.
Speaker 5:We're in the bag, I get peter greenos and there's a free breakfast in the morning. Well, cod donatevo is a breakfast in the morning, Remember donatevo is not free.
Speaker 4:It's what you can pay and please don't cheap out. If you're able to buy beers, you're able to give to the donatevo and it keeps the incredible spirit of these places alive. Antonio, the hospitalero is doing a phenomenal job and you want to be part of it. You've been walking away for several weeks now and reflected a little bit in your extra day of stay here in Zamora. What have been the highlights for you of the plata up to here?
Speaker 5:Yeah, look, probably more than anything else, I'm going over old ground. I walked this last year in February month and I'm visiting the same places, but what I see is I'm a different person as I come through each geographic or memory. I can see my own personal growth over the year, over the Camino. That, I think, is, and that's probably been, a highlight for me.
Speaker 4:Every time you come. Even if you come to the same Camino and stop in the same places, the people are different.
Speaker 4:The weather is going to be different and, as Lindsay said, you're going to be different because you're asking yourself different questions and you've grown and regressed in so many different ways in that amount of time, so you can never do the same Camino twice. For me, it's just been so amazing because look the plata you have Merida, Casares, Salamanca three UNESCO World Heritage sites, fantastically beautiful places, but it's still the incredible people you meet along the way that really make the Camino.
Speaker 5:And, as you say, it's different. So when, obviously, last time it was hot like talking over 30 degrees, and so today, what was the top of eight?
Speaker 4:Yeah, that was as hot as it got and it started at around three this morning.
Speaker 5:So, yeah, you can never walk through Camino as the sun.
Speaker 4:So I've been following this guy, following him on the Camino update, get to spend one day with him and then he's gone again. But we'll be keeping you updated next week and he'll be calling in from the Camino Mozarra, buon Camino.
Speaker 1:I just put out a new Camino Cafe podcast episode where Pilgrims Andy Holloway and Simon Bern discussed the plans for making the upcoming documentary somewhere along the way, which features Dan Mullins. It's their way to give back an honor both Spain and the Camino. Listen to it now, wherever you listen to podcasts, and wow, that's a wrap from all of us here at Camino News Update. Can't wait to see you in Santiago, pilgrims, ciao.