101 - Camino News Update 1/24/24 with Leigh Brennan & Johnnie Walker

Camino News Update 1/17/24 with Leigh Brennan & Johnnie Walker

This week’s Links:

Protest March  “In Defence of the Sea” 
https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/somosmar/2024/01/21/manifestacion-defensa-futuro-mar-santiago/00031705837358555550499.htm

A Novena Porta
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8qacgofYUnULDsvQ8

Walk with Dan Mullins
https://www.danmullinsmusic.com/walk

Transcript

Protests, Pilgrims, and Recommendations in Santiago

Speaker 1 0:04

Hello Pilgrims , it's Wednesday and we are coming to you live from Santiago de Compostela . I'm Lee Brennan , and Johnny Walker will join us shortly . Well , let's get to it . Last week , I reported on an unfortunate shipping incident that released millions of plastic pellets into the sea just off the coast of Spain . La Voz de Galicia reported that thousands of people took to the streets of Santiago this week to protest in defense of the future of the sea . Well , this demonstration , it was loud and it lasted for over two hours . It was one of the busiest demonstrations I have seen in Santiago . Yet it concluded with the reading of a manifesto saying in part before the tide of pellets even hit our ocean , our sea was damaged . It was sick for many years with waste from the world highway of supermarkets , which are the oceans . We are here to demand that the Shunta and the state coordinate and be more transparent , and the local police estimated there were over 12,000 protesters in the cathedral's main plaza by the end of the demonstration . For more information on this story , press the link in the show notes .

Speaker 1 1:10

Narrow streets of Santiago are challenged every day by the needs brought on by tourists coming to this beautiful city . Numerous deliveries need to be made in the old town and really the streets aren't even hardly wide enough for some of these trucks . This past week there was so much damage on to one of the terraces on Rua Valar that the city had to come out and place a special planter out front , all to protect passerbyers as well as the ancient building . Now let's get to co-host Johnny Walker . Johnny , what's up this week in Santiago ?

Speaker 2 1:38

Thanks , lee , and hello everybody . As you can see , it's still raining in Santiago , but there are moments of respite , and on Friday we caught a glimpse of pilgrims almost sunbathing in the Plata Quintana , which is one of the four squares of the cathedral . You can see it behind me there , with pilgrims arriving in the rain . So it's not all bad , but we know from the weather forecast that the rain will continue for a little while Now . In the last week , 472 pilgrims have arrived , a magnificent number , and of that 472 , my friend , mark McCarthy also arrived . Mark had decided to walk a short pilgrimage from Ponta Vedra on the Camino Portugues to Santiago , but of course , like many other pilgrims at this time of the year , he was battling through the rain with lots of water around . Have a look at the route . So , to Mark and to the other 471 pilgrims who signed up at the pilgrims office in the last week , well done and congratulations .

Speaker 2 2:52

Talking about the weather people , someone wrote to me recently saying is there dead of winter , is there ever snow in Santiago ? And the truth of the matter is no , there's very rarely snow in Santiago . In fact , I was looking back and in 2010 , so that's 14 years ago we woke up one morning and the place was covered in snow . Have a look at it and it's very beautiful . But the people of Santiago were astonished . The snow didn't last very long but they got their cameras out , the children got their sledges out and it was a kind of that was the last time and in fact one of the children , I don't know a five or six year old was astonished because it was the first time they'd seen the place covered in snow . Brad , there's also snow on the routes and of course we know that in San Jean-Pierre-de-Port they close the route in Napoleon until the spring because of the risk of the risk of snow and whiteouts and so forth . And of course , the last time I was in Otha Briro , in Haudenay , and a few years ago , the place was covered in snow just like this . So be prepared and have a look at weather forecast if you're walking at this time of the year , whether there's snow or rain or whatever .

Speaker 2 4:11

In Santiago , if you're looking for things to do , I wrote a guide to Santiago for Pilgrims right to me and I'm happy to send your copy . Part of that guide is 21 things to see and do in Santiago and I thoroughly recommend the Museum of Pilgrimages which is in the Plata Plata Reyes , one of the four squares , another of the four squares of the cathedral , and I found it astonishing because not only is it a very professional museum with lots of exhibitions about pilgrimage , through that museum I discovered that there are pilgrimage routes in every culture of the world , in every continent in the world , and I discovered that I'd entered this world of pilgrimage and became quite addicted to it , frankly . But I was joining people in every culture walking to find themselves , to find answers , to think , to pray , to reflect , to meditate , just like us . Only we're walking here to Santiago . That's our destination and hope to be here to welcome you when you arrive , if you're walking this year .

Speaker 2 5:27

Thanks for everything Bye , bye , just now .

Speaker 1 5:29

Thanks , johnny . That was great for this week's restaurant recommendation we have a pilgrim hit and we have a pilgrim miss .

Speaker 1 5:36

Let's start with the miss . Sadly for churro lovers chocolate they met a day closed permanently this past year . So staff here at Camino news update Well , we were excited to find a new place to get churros . So we went to the new player in town , churreria la quinta Opened this past season . Constantly passing up , we're all seeing the churros in the window , so we actually were pretty excited to try him . But we are sad and disappointed to report that we were not impressed .

Speaker 1 6:01

Service was poor , the churros that were served cold . Our expectations were high , all admit , but when it's your specialty and the only item on the menu , we think you need to deliver . So for now , stick to ordering your churros wherever you're getting your coffee and we will continue our search for the best churros in Santiago for this week's hit . If you are looking for a cold Guinness on draft , served with free tasty hot dogs until they run out for the day , our staff highly recommends our favorite place for Guinness and English Premier football matches at Novena Porta . Novena Porta is a casual little pub . It's located in old town but it's kind of hidden away , so it's usually filled with mostly locals and university students , but it has these wonderful big tables that are perfect for pilgrim meetups , so check it out . On the Vena Porta , the Santiago de Compostela book club will be holding their next meeting featuring BB U Barami and her latest book , the Way of the Wild Goose , on February 17th at 8 pm Central European time . Check out their Facebook page so you can sign up Now for the podcast roundup for your training walks .

Speaker 1 7:01

Dan Mullins has been hard at it . My Camino the podcast has a new show out this week with Cindy McGahn and on this show they're talking about celebrating health and more on the Camino . Dave Whitson also has a new show out this week and a really interesting topic all about starting your Camino from England , from Florida , from Texas . So check that one out . And my show , the Camino cafe podcast . This week we celebrated our 100th episode . I can't believe it . It was with Lindsay Tachinae . And Next week I have another big surprise and that interview is going to be with the legendary Dan Mullins . While I was interviewing Dan this week , I asked him hey , would you say a word to our Camino news update group ? And so let's hear from Dan . Dan Mullins is going to be coming to Spain to work on his new album . He has a lot of new material and the walk starts in May .

Speaker 4 8:00

Yeah , the walk in May is gonna be amazing . One of the things that I'm delighted to announce and this is exclusive for you , lee , and your Camino news we're doing a show at La Torre . In Via Franka del Bia , there was a 500 year old winery that's been converted . It was then converted to a castle and now it's been converted to a little speakeasy bar . I'll be playing in the courtyard under the stars . It's going to be absolutely out of this world .

Speaker 1 8:30

How many shows do you think you're gonna be doing during that walk ?

Speaker 4 8:33

Eight proper concerts , but I might do a lunchtime show somewhere . Yeah well , why not ? We're walking . We've got all the time in the world .

Speaker 1 8:39

Wow , how many spots are remaining open in case people want to sign up to do this walk ?

Speaker 4 8:45

I'd get it . I'd start to get my my walking boots on if I was keen . We've sold well over half . 15 spots still available .

Speaker 1 8:54

I'll have a link in our show notes in case you want to check out this incredible opportunity with Dan Mullins my Camino , the podcast . Don't Miss an Episode . And if you've missed any at all , don't worry . You have 353 episodes that you can listen while you're training . Get on it .

Speaker 4 9:11

I'm exhausted thinking about it .

Speaker 1 9:12

Lee Me too , dan Thanks Dan .

Speaker 4 9:15

Thanks for having me .

Speaker 1 9:16

Now tips from pilgrims that are currently walking . As you recall , lindsay Taysha-Nay is on week two of Walking the Via de la Plata , so he had a few tips . Long days , make sure you carry enough water . Make sure that you are carrying something to eat , because you don't want to be rushing to try to make it to a little village before the kitchen's closed for siesta . He reminds us all that rushing can lead to injury . A little time spent in the super Mercado will give you plenty of options for a healthy trail lunch and you won't have to rush .

Speaker 1 9:42

He also mentioned that it's been raining a lot and the clay soils are really soggy , and that's a common problem when you're walking in the south this time of year . So Lindsay recommended make sure you take hiking poles . Don't let your pride get in your way . It makes navigating these rain puddles a lot easier . Now Rocco Rossi , a pilgrim from Canada , just started his 18th Camino 18 folks . He's walking the Via de la Plata and will be covering his entire 1,000 kilometer walk . So let's check in with Rocco and see his report for the first week on the Via de la Plata .

Speaker 3 10:16

Buenos dias , peregrinos , peregrinas

Explore Ruta De La Plata, Sevilla

Speaker 3 10:20

. This is your roving reporter and fellow pilgrim , rocco Rossi , reporting to you from Sevilla , where I'm about to begin the Ruta de la Plata . Here , in the city that was founded by the Phoenicians , conquered by the Romans , the Visigoths , the Moors , there's so many incredible architectural touches , and right here in this cathedral , alongside all of the religious materials , is also the tomb of Christopher Columbus , that explorer who sought riches and adventures going to the west . And here I've come back to Europe , on a different voyage of discovery , and discovery to the interior , the Ruta de la Plata contains many treasures , including this the Roman ruins of Italica , founded by Scipio and built to its grandeur under Trajan and Hadrian , who were both born here , and I'm here in the remains of the amphitheater . It once held 25,000 spectators . It was the third largest amphitheater in the empire . This has also been the site of filming of Game of Thrones and served as the dragon pit of King's Landing , not to be missed when walking the Camino .

Speaker 1 11:51

Thanks , Rocco , and from all of us here at the Camino News Update . That's it for this week . We can't wait to see you in Santiago Pilgrims .