The Camino Cafe

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A stranger walks the Camino de Santiago for you, puts your name on a Compostela, and mails it to your door. What would that do to your life? Leigh sits down with her longtime friend Rocco Rossi, a Camino veteran with 23 Caminos behind him, to talk about the true tradition that shaped his debut novel Finding Grace: Vicari Pro Camino, walking on behalf of someone else as an act of blessing, memory, and love.<br><br>We dig into the real-life tragedy that sparked Rocco’s commitment to walking in another person’s name, and why the Camino can hold grief without erasing it. Rocco shares how community, ritual, and simple kindness can become a lifeline, especially for people carrying addiction, loss, or shame. We also talk about the “great leveler” effect of the Camino Frances, where a job title or bank account means nothing and what matters is the person you are over a shared meal or a few quiet kilometers.<br><br>Then we step into some of the most powerful Camino moments from the book and from lived experience: the humbling foot washing ritual at San Nicolas, the deep stillness that modern life steals from us, and why the Meseta can be where the real inner pilgrimage finally begins. If you’re planning a pilgrimage to Santiago, or looking for a Camino book that feels like real Camino life, you’ll come away with fresh motivation and a bigger view of what walking can be.<br><br>Subscribe for more Camino stories, share this with a friend who needs a little grace, and leave a review so more pilgrims can find the show.
Get the book - Finding Grace : https://a.co/d/0ceHhMhl
Connect with Rocco: https://www.roccorossi.com/
Episode 40 with Rocco Rossi : https://podcasts.apple.com/th/podcast/40-rocco-rossi-13-caminos-and-still-counting/id1562037974?i=1000548367415
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Become a supporter of The Camino Cafe Podcast:
🎙️💖 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1751717/support
Buy Me a Coffee:
☕️💛 https://buymeacoffee.com/caminocafepodcast
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
 🔴 ▶️https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6VN9ze3z61n6tRLtDXWuQw

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📸 https://www.instagram.com/thecaminocafepodcast/

🎵 The Camino Cafe's intro and outro song is in thanks to fellow Pilgrim, Jackson Maloney. Original Song  -  "Finnis Terre"  - written and performed by Jackson Maloney - Singer, Musician, and Songwriter.

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We sit down with full-time musician Felix Peralta to trace how a Camino Frances singer-songwriter retreat turns foggy mornings, cafe sing-alongs, and daily miles into a finished album. Along the way, we talk honestly about grief, sobriety, and the rare kind of friendship that forms when you put your heart on the table.  

• Felix’s life as a touring musician and community drummer in New Mexico  
• Meeting Christina Jacobson, getting sober, and choosing a new path  
• Saying yes to a Camino de Santiago songwriting retreat and traveling to Spain  
• Finding creative fuel in fog, hills, cafes, and simple daily rhythm  
• Writing constantly on the move with voice notes, sticky notes, and small moments  
• Celebrating 10+ years of sobriety as a personal gift and reset  
• Cruz de Ferro as a place to release grief, lost loves, and old habits  
• Feeling ancestral connection and making a promise to stop generational trauma  
• Co-writing “Hearts on the Table” with Stefan Webster and why men need space to talk  
• Bringing Camino magic home through art, performance, and continued healing  
• Tips for returning home: keep making something that reopens the memory  
Connect with Felix:
https://felixgatoperalta.com/
Info on Kristina's Camino Retreats for Musicians and Singer Songwriters: 
https://www.singmebackhomesongwriting.com/
Hearts on the Table recording appears with permission from Felix Peralta and Staffan Wester. 
Photos and Recordings Courtesy of Sing Me Back Retreats, Felix Peralta, Staffan Wester, and/or Camino Cafe Podcast

Support the show
Become a supporter of The Camino Cafe Podcast:
🎙️💖 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1751717/support
Buy Me a Coffee:
☕️💛 https://buymeacoffee.com/caminocafepodcast
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
 🔴 ▶️https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6VN9ze3z61n6tRLtDXWuQw

Follow us on Instagram:
📸 https://www.instagram.com/thecaminocafepodcast/

🎵 The Camino Cafe's intro and outro song is in thanks to fellow Pilgrim, Jackson Maloney. Original Song  -  "Finnis Terre"  - written and performed by Jackson Maloney - Singer, Musician, and Songwriter.

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Staffan Website
https://epk.recordunion.com/wes
Staffan Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570463024061&ref=1
Staffan Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/wes_weswebb/
Staffan Spotify 
https://open.spotify.com/artist/01YlKlKwoNGUo1bL7ytOS6?si=noQTrjWEQ96oS3o_jQbgRQ
Songs featured on the show:
Hearts on the Table
https://open.spotify.com/track/387u6NnjrOr5hOw9GpGh31?si=a136eb76af674da3
Dear Lester
https://open.spotify.com/track/48CYwJCFMzdtZQb7GTBpCr?si=4147bec847314eb6
To Join a Camino Singer Songwriter Retreat with Dr. Kristina Jacobsen:
https://www.singmebackhomesongwriting.com/santiago
Podcast with Kristina
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/110-melodies-of-the-soul-a-singers-journey/id1562037974?i=1000647863435
All songs played with permission from Dr. Kristina's Retreat Final Concert and from the artists on the professional recordings. 

Support the show
Become a supporter of The Camino Cafe Podcast:
🎙️💖 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1751717/support
Buy Me a Coffee:
☕️💛 https://buymeacoffee.com/caminocafepodcast
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
 🔴 ▶️https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6VN9ze3z61n6tRLtDXWuQw

Follow us on Instagram:
📸 https://www.instagram.com/thecaminocafepodcast/

🎵 The Camino Cafe's intro and outro song is in thanks to fellow Pilgrim, Jackson Maloney. Original Song  -  "Finnis Terre"  - written and performed by Jackson Maloney - Singer, Musician, and Songwriter.

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A new talk show format! Join our conversation as we discuss various Camino topics to help in planning your first walk or to reminisce about your own pilgrim experiences. We open with on‑the‑ground news from Santiago: fierce winter storms, a rare snowfall, and a temporary closure at Santiago’s airport that will reroute some spring arrivals. We separate fact from rumor around a potential papal visit, and even share a peek at a Netflix production setting up a medieval market near the cathedral. Context matters—understanding timing, transport, and crowds helps you walk with more ease and fewer surprises.

From there, we dive into the questions every pilgrim wrestles with. Should you book ahead or keep your plans loose? Our panel compares stress levels, seasonal crowds, budget realities, and friendship dynamics, then offers a hybrid approach that preserves spontaneity while safeguarding rest. We also unpack the solo question with honest care: why walking alone can be empowering, how to set clear boundaries when a friend asks to join, and practical safety moves like checking in at cafes, choosing more populated routes, and carrying simple tools that boost confidence.

We also say the quiet part out loud: bio breaks and trail etiquette. Hydrate smart, use cafe bathrooms respectfully, carry out your toilet paper, and skip foot care at the table. You’ll learn the kit that prevents blisters—toe socks, midday sock changes, and walking your own pace—and the micro‑habits that keep you injury‑free when the crowd moves faster than your body wants. And because a Camino isn’t just kilometers, we celebrate small delights: a cold stream that resets swollen feet, a shady tree nap that restores patience, or a dawn birdwatch with Merlin that opens a new window into Spain’s landscape.

We close with ways to give back, from hospitalero training and albergue service to local food pantries and trail cleanups. Whether you’re mapping your first steps or returning for your sixth route, this conversation offers grounded advice, real‑world examples, and the gentle nudge to make choices that match your season of life. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a pilgrim friend, and leave a quick review—what’s your top Camino tip for new walkers?
Support the show
Become a supporter of The Camino Cafe Podcast:
🎙️💖 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1751717/support
Buy Me a Coffee:
☕️💛 https://buymeacoffee.com/caminocafepodcast
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
 🔴 ▶️https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6VN9ze3z61n6tRLtDXWuQw

Follow us on Instagram:
📸 https://www.instagram.com/thecaminocafepodcast/

🎵 The Camino Cafe's intro and outro song is in thanks to fellow Pilgrim, Jackson Maloney. Original Song  -  "Finnis Terre"  - written and performed by Jackson Maloney - Singer, Musician, and Songwriter.

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Important links mentioned in the show:
Albergue Comendadoras de Santiago de Madrid and Welcome Center: https://www.caminodesantiagooficial.com/
To Join American Pilgrims on the Camino:
https://americanpilgrims.org/membership/
Wonderful video showing the albergue and welcome center, and a "how to" for booking a bed at Albergue Comendadoras:
https://youtu.be/gNjBXyJSBhA?si=JgUZqMjMSxFFwFPu
List of collaborating associations with the Albergue Comendadoras de Santiago de Madrid and Welcome Center:
Asociación de Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Astorga y Comarca
Camino Francés Federación (CFF)
Asociación de Amigos del Camino de Corea en Madrid
Fraternidad Internacional del Camino de Santiago (FICS)
American Pilgrims on the Camino
Peaceable Projects
Canadian Company of Pilgrims.
St. Jakobusbruderschart Trier
Asociación de Amigos del Camino de Santiago en Japón
Foreningen af Danske Santiagopilgrimme
Asociación de Amigos del Camino de Santiago en Argentina

Support the show
Become a supporter of The Camino Cafe Podcast:
🎙️💖 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1751717/support
Buy Me a Coffee:
☕️💛 https://buymeacoffee.com/caminocafepodcast
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
 🔴 ▶️https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6VN9ze3z61n6tRLtDXWuQw

Follow us on Instagram:
📸 https://www.instagram.com/thecaminocafepodcast/

🎵 The Camino Cafe's intro and outro song is in thanks to fellow Pilgrim, Jackson Maloney. Original Song  -  "Finnis Terre"  - written and performed by Jackson Maloney - Singer, Musician, and Songwriter.