Later this month, Sandy Brown and I will be heading south for a mini speaking tour, connecting with pilgrim groups from Medford, Oregon (I’ll be solo on that first date) to San Diego, California. Here’s the official event blurb:
The Camino de Santiago and the Resurgence of Pilgrimage – An Evening with Guidebook Authors Sandy Brown and Dave Whitson
More than a half-million people will complete a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela this year, while countless others will follow one of the scores of ancient, medieval, and contemporary routes across Europe and beyond. For two decades, Sandy Brown and Dave Whitson have explored many of these routes, and in this presentation they will discuss why, even amidst talk of over-crowding, the main branch of the Camino de Santiago is still a profound and invaluable experience to pursue. At the same time, though, they will advocate for continued exploration beyond those most popular routes, as exceptional pilgrimage routes expand far beyond Spain. Along with their prepared remarks, there will also be time for audience Q&A, in addition to book signings.
The Reverend Sandy Brown has authored seven Cicerone titles covering The Camino de Santiago, The Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome to Santa Maria di Leuca, The Via di Francesco from Florence to Assisi to Rome, and the California Mission Walk. Since completing his first Camino in 2008, Sandy has walked or biked over 11,200 miles on pilgrimage trails in Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy and the United States. Sandy is an ordained minister. In addition to writing guidebooks, Sandy owns Pilgrim Paths, a boutique travel company that designs custom pilgrim itineraries and offers guided walks on many routes.
Dave Whitson is the host of The Camino Podcast and has authored three Cicerone guidebooks: The Camino del Norte and Camino Primitivo, The Via Podensis – Le Puy to The Pyrenees, and The Camino Ingles and Ruta Do Mar. Dave has also published two non-guidebooks, Pilgrimage: A Medieval Cure for Modern Ills and The Camino Compendium: A Historical and Cultural Exploration of the Camino de Santiago. Dave made his first pilgrimage on the Camino Frances in 2002. Since then he has led student pilgrimages across Europe and Japan, walked tens of thousands of kilometers of pilgrim roads, and completed a coast-to-coast walk across the USA following the American Discovery Trail and The Oregon Trail.
And here are the event details:
- Friday, January 23, 6:30pm – Medford, OR (Just Dave, no Sandy) – REI (5 Rossanley Drive) – Full details, with link to register at REI site
- Saturday, January 24, 7pm – Sacramento, CA – Arden Dimick Library – Local announcement
- Sunday, January 25, 2pm – Oakland, CA – St. Augustine Catholic Church (400 Alcatraz Ave) – Registration required here
- Monday, January 26, 7pm – Pismo Beach, CA – St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church – Local announcement
- Tuesday, January 27, 6pm – Thousand Oaks, CA – Newbury Park Branch Library – RSVP here
- Thursday, January 29, 7pm – Mission Viejo, CA – Norman P Murray Community Center – RSVP here
- Friday, January 30, 6-8pm – Burbank, CA – REI with special guest Annie O’Neil! – RSVP here
- Saturday, January 31, 4:30pm – St Charles Borromeo Catholic Church – Local announcement
The events are (all?) free, but donations are welcome to help offset venue costs in some places, and our gas expenses across all places. Sandy and I will both have books available for purchase–and they can be preordered here.
Hope to see you there!
