Project Camino

These are my Camino thoughts on how attachment to things or to an outcome can negatively affect your Camino and also your life in general. I recorded this whilst I rambled along the Sanabres from Ourense to Santiago. It’s a different type of show and I hope you enjoy it.

Fr Steven G Rindahl is a retired US Army Chaplain and is the Director of Spiritual Formation for his diocese.  He spent 31 years in the Army, the first 17 years as a paratrooper making 83 jumps and he then studied to become an Army Chaplain. Steve talks to us about his journey both on and off the Camino. He started his military career as a 17 year old who wanted to do two things- jump out of planes and go to war. He eventually left the Army and retrained as a Chaplain, in part to provide the support and mentoring to other soldiers that saw as vital to the mental and spiritual well being of his fellow man. Steve holds the Doctor of Ministry from the University of Chester and is involved in the creation of a new Church just outside of San Antonio, Texas. Currently Steve is organising a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago for combat veterans diagnosed with PTSD/Moral Injury.

Pilgrim Eugenie Fathi Sayegh was born in Lebanon to a Syrian Armenian and Lebanese Maronite. She walked the Camino Frances in may of 2016. She attended College des Freres Maristes-Champville in Dik El Mehdi, where she was raised. Eugenie lives with Ghassan Sayegh, her husband of twenty-seven years, and her three children in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she is a Bikram Yoga Instructor and French teacher. She is a passionate and spiritual extrovert driven by a courageous and obsessive-compulsive need for a deeper love of all on earth. ‘A Walking Miracle’ is her first book written with truth, love and zest for life.

Christine Demuynck worked with problem youth until she was 50 and then she walked her first Camino. She then became a teacher to have more holidays so she could walk more Caminos'. She worked as a relief teacher in Belgium and never had a fixed job as teachers seldom retired. So after 6 years working as a teacher years she discovered an Albergue for sale and has been living for four years in Spain. She runs Albergue Villares de Orbigo, in the village of the same name. Christine shares her love of the Camino and of the positive energy and gratitude she has for being around pilgrims most days. She also describes her 'average' day as an Albergue owner, which starts in the early hours and ends well after dinner.... it is, as she says 'A vocation' but one she loves. I hope you enjoy the show and remember Christines' words- 'The Camino is better than a Doctor.'

How far would you walk to save a child’s life? The best possible answer anyone of us can give is, as far as humanly possible. Cape Town Pilgrim Darren Combrink has walked five different Camino and the next one could be the most special of them all. Between June and July, 40-something media producer Darren Combrink will attempt to do just that.   He is walking the Camino Del Norte to raise funds for the South African Bone Marrow Registry. An up down 825 kilometre Camino stretching between Irún and Santiago de Compostela Spain — that many pilgrims have stamped as one of the toughest. Armed with only a GoPro and social media, Darren is attempting to tell the world: we can save children who are dying right now. The fact of the matter is, 1 in 600 South African children under the age of 16 will be diagnosed with cancer, the most common in kids is Leukaemia. They will need treatment, which may include a bone marrow transplant. The SABMR provides a free preliminary search for donors, but there are considerable costs

Pilgrim Steve McGourty served six and a half years in the US Navy as an Aviation Electronics Tech.  He got out and used his GI Bill to go to College.  He then served Boeing for nearly 30 years as a Network Performance Analyst.  Needing a new challenge and wanting to celebrate the major life changes, in 2015 he decided to walk the Camino Frances. He shares his views on karma, the comfort of private rooms vs a communal Albergue and other various pieces of wisdom from his experience on the Camino.

Camino Sanabres thoughts. There are my Camino thoughts whilst I rambled along the Sanabres from Ourense to Santiago. I answer some of the questions that my listeners have sent me and I also delve into whatever else was paging around my ears at that time. It’s a different type of show and I hope you enjoy it. #pilgrimage #pilgrim #caminofrances #theway #camino #caminodesantiago #spain #buencamino

Pilgrim Jeremy Enns walked the Camino Portugese in 2017. He is the Storyteller In Chief of Ascetic Productions, a podcast consulting and production company that helps share the stories of everyone from billion dollar companies you’ve probably heard of, to creative solopreneurs you probably never will. He is the co-creator of the world’s first and only ice cream podcast, and will always look back on the day he finally saved up enough money to buy the Millennium Falcon Lego set as one of his proudest achievements.

These Three Peregrina's are from different parts of the world, but they all have that common bond of sharing, giving and pilgrim spirit. They share their Camino experiences from the Blue Mountains in Australia. Margaret Bouttell In 2013 Margaret Bouttell and her husband, Rowan, cycled the Camino Frances, 1000km from St Jean Pied de Port to Finesterre.  Starting off treating the Camino as a cycle-tour adventure, they soon realised it was more than that and it became a pilgrimage of the heart and mind. At Burgos, they mailed their tent and camping gear to the UK, and stayed in albergue’s instead. The communal spirit and sense of safety and belonging found in albergue’s struck a cord. Returning to Australia, Margaret & Rowan, purchased a 100 year old guesthouse in the scenic Blue Mountains called Glenella.  Whilst running the B&B, they converted a derelict part of the building into shared communal “albergue” style accommodation. They run their guesthouse with warm hospitality and welcome everyone to make

Veronica and Barry Borham walked the Camino Frances from SJPP on 30th August 2017 arriving in Santiago de Compostela on 8th October. When asked why, they refer back to 2015 when they had walked from Sarria. That was Veronica’s Camino and Barry ‘just went along for the walk.’ As it turned out he got hooked and realised there was far more to this than just walking. Barry then realised he needed to do the Camino Frances. The walk has left its lasting stamp on both of them and its difficult to understand the impression they have that this Camino went so fast. Barry has a strong urge to do another Camino as soon as possible and as so many people say, he doesn’t feel as if the Camino has finished with him yet. Barry is in the process of trying to capture his impressions of the Way in a series of paintings, featuring pilgrims following their shadows along the Way. He managed to capture part of his own shadow on the path but there is more there that needs discovering. I suppose that means that Barry’s Camino is not y

Welcome to Project Camino’s 50th episode! I have a special guest for this one… my wife Joanna Bolton (aka The World’s Luckiest Woman) Jo talks about the changes she has seen in Santiago de Compostela as the Way of St James has grown in popularity, her adventures on horseback on the pilgrimage and her ingenious idea of how pilgrims can literally take the Camino home with them. I hope you enjoy the show and I look forward the next 50 episodes!

Camino aficionado Dr. Bradley Harper served over 37 years in the Army, first as an Airborne Infantry Platoon Leader, and culminating as the Deputy Assistant Surgeon General for the US Army in the Pentagon. While serving as the Command Surgeon for US Army South he spent time in Colombia overseeing a joint training course with the Colombian Army, and had a $1.5 million bounty on his head (alive) for anyone who could deliver him to the FARC. Fluent in Spanish, he speaks four other languages other than English and for the past five years since retirement has volunteered in Galicia to assist pilgrims making their way to Santiago de Compostela. He had the unique experience of serving as the acting commander of the US Army Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany, on the fiftieth anniversary of GEN Patton’s death there and presided over the commemoration ceremony involving both US military and German local dignitaries. He has worked as a professional Santa Claus for the past five years.

Pilgrims Todd & Sherilynn Budzik walked the Camino Frances in 2017. I was lucky enough to spend some time with them at the Pilgrim House in Santiago de Compostela where they were kind enough to share their story of heart ache, love, finding themselves and each other while on the Camino. They first met at the age of 24 in 1991 and were married in 1994. They had a son in 1996 and a daughter in 1998. They own and operate an Engineering Firm since 1998 which is licensed in 18 states. They travel extensively, Todd is a service brat and Sherilynn grew up in a small community in Iowa. They assure me that their Camino has only just begun….

Bob Shea walked the Camino Frances in 2017. He is 59 years old and lives in Naples Florida. He is a retired nurse and for the last four years his job has been singing & entertaining for our elders. His work brings him primarily to memory communities, for Dementia sufferers. The last of seven children, his parents were faithful, loving, inquisitive and hard-working people. Propagating and attaching mindfulness with gratitude is his quest.

Jeffery Barrera currently works as a guide on both the Portuguese and French Caminos. Since 2013 he has walked the Galician section of the Camino 40 times and in 1994 he walked to Santiago de Compostela from Roncesvalles on the French border. He is the author of the ‘Survival Guides for the French and the Portuguese Caminos in Galicia’ and the ‘Survival Guides for the Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museums in Madrid.’

Camino author Ron Ottenad is a pilgrim, writer, adjunct professor, and spiritual director from Long Beach, CA.  He walked the Camino Francis in 2014, after being brought to a crossroads in life by an experience of significant loss.    The Camino became a physical representation of an inward journey which forced him to choose between struggling to maintain security and control, and being willing to accept the invitation to walk in humility, forgiveness and trust.   He tells the story in his book, The Good Way: Walking an Old Road to a New Life. He has also authored a journal, The Ascent to Santiago: A Contemplative Journal for Those Walking the Way of St. James, which helps pilgrims write their own story.  Since returning from the Way, Ron has been privileged to encourage others as they prepare to walk the Camino.

Project Camino host Brendan Bolton retraces some of his steps on the Camino in St Jean Pied de Port. He also discusses what he has done in 2017, the lessons he has learnt since moving from Australia to Spain. This bonus podcast is a special thank you to those who have made his podcast a reality. Brendan is truly grateful for his guest that have appeared on the show and especially his listeners, as they are the people who make Project Camino so special. Go easy on yourself and use your time wisely, as it is the most precious thing any of us have. Have an amazing 2018, full of fun, laughter and much, much more. Buen Camino!! Click below to find out how you can take the Camino home with you! http://projectcamino.com/free-ebook/ Please 'Like' & 'Share the Project Camino Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCamino/ #camino #caminodesantiago #caminofrances #theway #pilgrimage #pilgrim #spain

Joe & Susan were introduced to the Camino by their seminarian son, who walked the Camino in 2015. Time didn’t allow them to complete the Camino Frances but they decided to walk the 200 mile section from Leon to Santiago. These pilgrims from Columbus Ohio and Joe is an engineer while Susan is a registered nurse. Susan now wants to start a business selling Spanish cafe con leche and fresh zumo juice!

Camino Author Roy Uprichard was born in Belfast, and is a retired Lecturer. In 2012 he discovered the Camino Frances and on his retirement in 2014, returned to walk its entirety, recorded in his 2016 Travel Memoir, Restless Hearts. In May 2017 he published Stone and Water – Walking the Spiritual Variant of the Camino Portuguese. He is currently researching some places on and off the Camino Portuguese, and their Celtic resonances with Ireland. He hopes to continue walking and writing. He lives in North Down with his wife.

Self confessed Camino Junkie Laurie Duperier owns a travel company called Authentic Journeys and has been on the Camino more times than she can remember. She has also written a book titled ‘The Endless Path,’ which chronicles the extraordinary journey of two soul mates who overcame almost insurmountable odds to find each other and to stay together as long as they possibly could. And then one of them died. She shares her amazing story of Love, loss, enlightenment, discovery & bravery with Project Camino.