The Camino Cafe
The Camino Cafe
Camino News Update is back - April 2025 - Walking Season is Kicking into Full Gear with Johnnie Walker Santiago and Rocco Rossi
The rain beats down on Santiago de Compostela's ancient stones as Johnny Walker connects from the Parador's Royal Dining Room, overlooking sodden pilgrims braving hailstones and downpours during the spiritually significant Holy Week. Despite the weather, pilgrimage numbers continue to swell as travelers arrive hoping to experience Easter in this sacred city.
Fresh from a whirlwind North American tour promoting "The Way, My Way," Johnny shares heartwarming stories of packed theaters and pilgrim connections across major cities. What began as film screenings transformed into impromptu pilgrim gatherings, complete with blessing ceremonies using scallop shells from Santiago's cathedral. Most moving was a 16-year-old viewer who, inspired by the film, publicly committed to walking the Camino—receiving her own blessed shell amidst thunderous cries of "Buen Camino" from fellow audience members.
Santiago's Holy Week traditions take center stage in our conversation, from Palm Sunday's blessed branches to Easter Sunday celebrations, with thirteen traditional processions threading through the city's narrow streets. Johnny provides fascinating historical context about the distinctive medieval penitent costumes worn during these processions, clearing up common misconceptions about their origins. We also discuss the Pilgrim Office's revised Compostela requirements, which now recognize journeys of at least 70 kilometers within Spain, and hear from veteran pilgrim Rocco Rossi, who perfectly articulates why so many of us return to the Camino time and again: "If you find something in your life that brings you joy, clarity, and energy, the real question is why aren't you doing it more than once?" Whether you're planning your first Camino or your twenty-first, this perspective reminds us of the path's enduring power to transform lives with each journey.
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The Camino Cafe's intro and outro song with thanks to fellow Pilgrim, Jackson Maloney. Original Song - "Finnis Terre" - written and performed by Jackson Maloney - Singer, Musician, and Songwriter. Connect with Jackson: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3fdQsSqq9pDSwKcWlnBHKR
Hello Pilgrims, welcome to the Camino News Update. We are excited to be back with you. I'm Leigh Brennan, I'm here in Tacoma, washington, and look who we have with us Johnny Walker, santiago. And he, of course, is in Santiago. Johnny, it looks like it's raining.
Speaker 2:Good morning, leigh. My friends in the Parador have allowed me to use the big Royal Dining Room for this recording. As you can see looking out onto the Plaza Obrador, the rain is beating down. At the moment, the poor pilgrims are walking in the rain, and yesterday in hailstones as well.
Speaker 1:Oh my goodness, how's the temperature?
Speaker 2:The temperature is not freezing, but I don't like the cold, although I'm Scottish and I feel the cold. So we're down in the morning times at this time of the morning about five, six degrees, but it can go up to 18 degrees, even in the rain.
Speaker 1:Yeah, those pilgrims boy, I feel for them. Well, you were just walking recently, but now it looked like you had good weather.
Speaker 2:Well, yes, I spent a few days on the Portuguese coastal route, one of my most favourite routes, walking in and around Bayona, and it was gorgeous and I had to put on sunscreen.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:That was just a week ago, but of course we're now in Holy Week. Palm Sunday was last Sunday. The week before Easter Sunday is next Sunday, and we've got a week of torrential rain. And of course this is the week when pilgrims the pilgrim numbers go up and up and up as pilgrims come into the city to spend Easter in Santiago. So spare a thought for the poor, sodden pilgrims walking in the rain.
Speaker 1:No kidding, you've been quite busy with premieres of the Way my Way all across North America, so tell us about the big trip you took.
Speaker 2:Well, bill Bennett, who made the film the Way, my Way, invited me as a volunteer.
Speaker 2:He said if I pay your flight, will you come to the United States and Canada and help us promote this film? And it's a great pleasure, although it's very it's not glamorous at all, lee, let me assure you, because it's hard work. I arrived in New York and that evening we were in Times Square for the premiere in New York. The following morning we flew to Toronto. The following morning we flew to Ontario. The following day we flew to Vancouver, then we flew to Seattle, where the following morning we flew to Ontario. The following day we flew to Vancouver, then we flew to Seattle, where I saw you, and then we get in a car and we drove to Portland and thereafter we drove all across the United States.
Speaker 2:The movie's doing very well playing to packed cinemas, but I have to say the pleasure for me is meeting all these other pilgrims, and it's just like a huge albergue in the cinema with people. You can see it happening, with people sharing their stories and so forth, and I took a supply of scallop shells with me that were blessed in the cathedral and, as a surprise to everyone, we had shell ceremonies at these screenings, including one beautiful young lady who stood up and said I'm 16 years of age and having watched that movie. I'm going to walk the Camino next year. So I said to her just come straight up to the stage here. Here is your scallop shell. I want you to deliver this to me in Santiago. And of course the place went wild and everyone shouted Buen Camino.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow.
Speaker 2:It was lovely yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, what did you think of being in the US? Have you ever spent this much time in the US?
Speaker 2:Oh, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 3:And when I was in my teens.
Speaker 2:I worked in the United States. I ran a weather station in a forest outside of Chicago for three months. Well, observing the weather was one of my things. You can imagine how boring that is. So I was in this forest working with what you would call the Forestry Commission, and there was a tower and I sat on top of the tower with my machines.
Speaker 1:Are you pulling an April Fool's kind of joke on me? No, no, that's the truth. Why don't you talk about this?
Speaker 2:And, of course, my sister's American. She lives in Minnesota.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:If you can imagine that. She's much older than me and I've got family in the United States and I'm very fond, I'm very fond of the United States and I'm very fond of some Americans.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I hope I'm in that list.
Speaker 2:Of course you are.
Speaker 1:I will tell you this I know so many people were so excited to finally get to meet you in person and get to meet Bill Bennett. You know people were just like what do they call it fangirling and fanboying? You know like people were just like oh my goodness, it's them in real life.
Speaker 2:So it's very exciting for people. There were remarkable scenes in Ontario I think it was minus 12 degrees and there was a queue around the block. One cinema had 650 people in it to bring in extra seats for the demand and I think a lot of it is pilgrims wanting to come together as well as see this new movie. Yeah, I agree. Well, you know, here in Tacoma they actually played the movie. Another two weeks of it is pilgrims wanting to come together as well as see this new movie.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I agree. Well, you know, here in tacoma they actually played the movie another two weeks and, yeah, people were super excited about seeing it. So, yeah, and, and they announced that there's going to be a sequel. The way her way. So hopefully we'll we'll begin to hear about filming of that before too long working on that as we speak. Excellent. Well, let's talk about Easter week in Santiago. Anything special going on?
Speaker 2:Anything special. This is the great week and it started on Sunday when people go into their gardens and they cut branches and they come to church for the branches to be blessed, re-enacting Jesus' entry into Jerusalem when he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, and of course that set up the events of that week. On Thursday, the Last Supper is celebrated. On Good Friday, christ's crucifixion and entombment is celebrated. Saturday night, beginning with a bonfire which re-enacts the fire of creation. Christ's resurrection from the death is celebrated. Then, of course, we've got Glorious Easter Sunday. In many Spanish cities all over the country, people dress up and re-enact these scenes of the entry into Jerusalem and the crucifixion and so forth. In Malaga there are 50 of these processions that go on. Santiago is a much smaller place. We've only got 90,000 people, so there are 13 of these processions. And of course they started last Saturday, just before Palm Sunday, but with the weather the procession last night, for example, had to be held indoors, so people were very disappointed.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what a shame.
Speaker 2:That's the shape of the week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Well, let's talk a little bit about the costuming that's worn in the processions. You know, for a lot of people there's a little bit of a shock if you're not familiar with the outfits that are worn during many of these processions. Can you speak a little bit to that?
Speaker 2:Yeah funnily enough.
Speaker 2:A lady posted the other day these people are dressed up like the Klu Klux Klan, and the answer to that is no, the Klu Klux Klan have dressed up like these people. The processions and the dressing up started in the 16th century and, of course, the Klu Klux Klan have dressed up like these people. The processions and the dressing up started in the 16th century and, of course, the Klu Klux Klan was not formed until the 19th century, 1860 something. So there is some copying going on and there is great symbolism in what they were, because in the Middle Ages, religion in the Middle Ages was all about sin.
Speaker 2:It was all about hell and damnation and, of course, if you were a sinner and you went to confession, the priest might say to you Lee, you've been a very, very bad girl. So what you're going to do is you're going to walk around the streets of Santiago for a week dressed as a sinner, dressed as a penitent the penitent is the word, and so you had to put on the dunce's hat, because you were a figure of fun and people would laugh at you. That was your sentence for your sins. But they were allowed some anonymity, so they had a veil over their face and, of course, they had to cut holes for their eyes and their mouth, and that's the derivation of this so thank goodness, things have changed things have certainly changed, thank goodness yeah, no kidding.
Speaker 1:Hey, john, I was wondering have there been any updates on the? Uh? You know there's been a lot of talk about the 100 kilometers change. Have you had any updates on that? About getting your compostella? No, it is the way it is.
Speaker 2:What the Pilgrim Office are saying is if you walk at least 70 kilometres within Spain, at least 70 kilometres within Spain, and you come to Santiago, no matter where you walk the 70 kilometres, it has to be on a recognised route. Okay, so you might start off in Rontes, Valles or Burgos and walk some 70 or 80 kilometres, come to Santiago. Then you have to walk the last stage on the Camino Francés. That would be from Pedruso. So I think this is a genuine effort that the Pilgrim Office has been making to examine ways of relieving the pressure on some of the points, particularly on routes like the Camino Francés and the Camino Portugues. My own view is that people will not do that. If you set off to come to Santiago, you will walk to Santiago. So we'll see how it goes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, that's interesting. Okay, well, anything else going on in Santiago this week?
Speaker 2:Apart from the rain. Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:Well, anything else going?
Speaker 2:on in Santiago this week, apart from the rain.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, are you happy to be back?
Speaker 2:I'm happy to be back. It was very nice to see everyone actually, and it's great to be back. I'm hearing from Bill that things are going very well in Germany. They're on a tour in Germany, they've got the film dumped into German and this is it starting to be translated into other languages. On the 16th of July we have a showing of the film for everyone in the university, so all of the professors and students will be coming together. We'll see how that goes. Why don't you come over for that, lee?
Speaker 1:Ah, you know, I've been thinking about it. You'll do that on July 16th in Santiago.
Speaker 2:July 16th in Santiago, in the university.
Speaker 1:That's wonderful. Any news on it being released to the world at some point streaming-wise.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, I'm reminded of Martin Sheen's film the Way, which took ages to become available because they've got to sell this new product into cinemas. And I was talking to one cinema operator in Canada and I said to her how long will you keep this film showing? And she said well, there are 400 people here.
Speaker 2:This must be everybody who would be interested in it and I said no, no, no, you have no idea. You have no idea when pilgrims, when pilgrims come back from pilgrimage, they talk to everybody about their experience on the camino. So they talk to their family and their relatives and their friends and you have no idea the level of interest out there on the Camino, and of course in Tacoma, you discovered that as they kept the film going. So we shall see.
Speaker 1:I tell you. There's hardly a day that goes by that I don't talk about the Camino, and as soon as someone, if anyone, gets an inkling that I've had any involvement in it, the next thing they say is you know, I've always wanted to walk that.
Speaker 2:Well.
Speaker 1:Right and it turns into a whole conversation, coffee dates and whatnot, and I tell you, you know my my belief that the Camino is needed is stronger than ever after my return and setting up a home base back in the U? S. So you know everything that I can do to promote people going and taking their first walk or their 10th walk. I'm there because I think the world needs it right now.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And of course the late John Briarley saw the Camino as the solution to many of the world's problems. If only we could persuade all of the politicians to walk the Camino, then society might be different. But of course, as Gandhi says, it starts with you and me. So we should walk the Camino and out on the coastal route. Last week I met some lovely, lovely people discovering the Camino experience for the first time.
Speaker 1:It was beautiful, wonderful, wonderful. Well, I think that's it for this week. We are going to check in with Rocco Rossi now. You and I will be back in two weeks time, so enjoy the rest of your Easter week. It's so good to see you.
Speaker 2:Hopefully by then, lee, the sun will be shining outside. I sure hope so we have a week of this rain and then they say the sun is coming back.
Speaker 1:I sure hope so for you. Well, we will see you in two weeks to get the latest updates from Santiago and everything all Camino.
Speaker 2:Take care of yourself, Lee.
Speaker 1:You too. Let's hear from another pilgrim that's just walked into Santiago two days ago and that is fan favorite. Camino News Update. Contributor Rocco Rossi. What number Camino is this? Have you kept count?
Speaker 3:Rossi, what number Camino is this? Have you kept count? Well, I've come to Spain, portugal or France 21 times since 2002.
Speaker 1:So, rocco, what keeps you coming back? Because you've walked I think we were talking the other day what there's 80,000 kilometers of Camino in Spain and you've walked quite a few of those. What keeps you coming back? What makes you want to do another one?
Speaker 3:It's interesting. You know people who asked me that question. I asked you know, do you have a good friend? And they say yes. And I said Do you ever want to visit them just once in your life? And I said do you ever want to visit them just once in your life? Do you like chocolate, cake and pizza? Can you stop at one piece and never eat them again? If you find something in your life that brings you joy, that brings you clarity, that energizes you, the real question is why aren't you doing it more than once? And for me, the Camino is like that message at the beginning of every flight In case of decompression, masks will fall from the ceiling. Make sure you put it on yourself before you try to help anyone else.
Speaker 1:Well, that's a wrap. We are so excited to be back with you at Camino News Update. Thank you for being a part of our Camino family. We can't wait to see you on the path. Until then, ciao pilgrims.