I think he's half right. It's a mistake to think that going back to something (anything, not just the Camino) will recreate the same experience. Not only has it changed, but you've changed too. The longer ago that experience was, the more it and you will have changed. Other circumstances, especially the weather, are bound to affect your reaction to particular places. Memories are quite often wrong or exaggerated anyway. I found when I rewalked the
Camino Frances after a gap of 10 years or so that the route was in places barely recognisable. I hardly saw anyone at all on my 1st trip, there were few refuges, waymarking was patchy - this is completely different nowadays.
On the other hand, if you approach things with an open mind, you will have a new, different experience, meet different people, etc. There's no reason why that can't be as good as, or even better than, the previous trip.
P.S. I did not find that the centre of Santiago itself had changed much. This is backed up by
http://gallica.bnf.fr/scripts/Consultat ... O=03300160 which has some photos taken in the early years of the last century. Much of this is easily recognisable, even if fashions have changed somewhat.