Bill Artz | The poetry of pilgrimage

Australian pilgrim Geoff Crawford walked the Camino and his pilgrimage became about so much more than simply getting from one place to another. Geoff set out with a purpose, raising money for the Black Dog Institute, but along the way he discovered that the Camino has a remarkable way of challenging your expectations, stripping away the unnecessary and making you pay attention to the people and moments right in front of you. Geoff takes us through some of the memorable encounters and experiences that shaped his journey: the friendships forged with fellow pilgrims, walking for a week with his son, meeting an Iranian pilgrim, losing his phone and confronting some of the tougher days on the trail. We talk about the Meseta, the Cruz de Ferro and the emotional approach to Santiago, as well as one particularly powerful question posed by an Irish pilgrim: “Do you love yourself?” It is a question that stayed with Geoff long after the walking was over.

In 2017, Kirsten McHugh and her husband Jack walked 800 kilometres from the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela. For Kirsten, the Camino came after years of shared adventures, some crazy schemes, business ventures and, most significantly, Jack’s battle with cancer. The walk became an opportunity to step away from the stresses and complications of everyday life and reconnect with each other — and with the things that really mattered. In her memoir Seekers, Sinners and Me: Walking Love and Gratitude, Kirsten tells that story with remarkable honesty, warmth and plenty of humour.

What happens when you set off to walk the Camino de Santiago carrying a broken heart, a camera and a question that may be harder to answer than any physical challenge on the trail: How do you forgive someone who has hurt you deeply? In 2015, American filmmaker and screenwriter Erin R. Dooley walked roughly 550 miles across Spain on the Camino Frances following the painful end of her twelve-year marriage. She had wanted to walk the Camino for years, but this time she wasn't simply looking for adventure. She was looking for healing — and she deliberately made forgiveness part of her pilgrimage. Erin took a camera with her, initially unsure what she would do with the footage. What emerged was a deeply personal documentary and, eventually, her book A Way to Forgiveness. Along the way she spoke with fellow pilgrims about betrayal, anger, reconciliation and forgiveness, while documenting her own emotional journey. The physical hardship of the Camino became a mirror for what was happening inside her: as her body grew stronger, she began to feel stronger emotionally too.In this conversation, Erin and I talk about what forgiveness actually means — and what it doesn't mean. Is forgiveness about letting go for your own sake, or is it ultimately something you do for the person who hurt you? Can you forgive someone who hasn't apologised? And can you forgive without reconciling with them? Erin's answers are thoughtful, challenging and deeply grounded in her faith. You can find Erin and her books here

Justin Follin and Geoff Gates met on the Camino and discovered a love of music, songwriting and celebrating the joy of music, together. They wrote songs together, shared moments of joy, hardships and found in each other a passion for storytelling through song. This episode is about friendship, the power of music and how the Camino makes the world a much smaller place. You can find Geoff's music here You can find Justin's music here

Beebe Bahrami has revised her fabulous Camino guidebook. It's full of amazing insights, stories, inspiration, light and love. It's all about sacred sites, historic villages and savouring the local food and wine - what's not to love about that. This is a wonderful episode, full of fun and the spirit of the Camino. You can find Beebe and her book here

My friend Bill Artz is an American pilgrim who has developed a love for the Camino and finds later in life that he has a talent for poetry. What a wonderful gift to discover and YOU will discover some of Bill’s poems in this week’s episode. We also talk about Bill’s role in the American Pilgrims on the Camino and how APoC helps communities on the Camino though a special grants program funded by events and members. The 2027 American Pilgrims on the Camino Annual Gathering is being held in Estella Spain, June 1-4 next year.

The Australian Friends of the Camino does a wonderful job brining pilgrims together, not just in Australia, but all around the world. Its members volunteer in albergues, it provides advice and support for pilgrims and the board and members epitomise what pilgrimage is all about - love and light. I was lucky enough to be asked to chair a panel discussion on the opening night of the Australian Friends of the Camino on Queensland's Sunshine Coast last weekend.

Dave Newlin was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, but he decided his condition was not going to stop him walking the Camino. This is a wonderful story about resilience, believing you can, support from those you love, and believing that the best is yet to come. I loved this interview, and I know you will too.

Deb and Justin Hansen have written Meriam & Oden's Guide to Walking The Camino. It's written from the perspective of their underwear! It's a light-hearted and fun look at what can make or break your Camino - and a playful and insightful take on the ancient pilgrimage. Much has been written about walking the Camino de Santiago..but never from the dark, murky and sometimes dangerous perspective of a Pilgrims’ underpants. You can find your copy of the book here

Australian Lisa Sweeney is a two-time Camino pilgrim who never really felt like she belonged. Of Irish decent, Lisa and her husband decided to walk the National Famine Way in Ireland and it changed her life forever, she'd found where she belongs. The National Famine Way is a 165km pilgrimage walking in the footsteps of 1490 men, women and children forced off their land and sent abroad during the Potato Famine in the 1840s. This is a wonderful discussion about history, its impact on us and the world. You can find the National Famine Way here.