Program alert for Aussies

[Tassie Kaz]

Hi Aussie house-bound pilgrims,
The good ol' ABC is screening 'Pilgrimage: the Road to Santiago' at 5pm (AEST) this afternoon (Good Friday) plus ep 2 on Saturday & ep 3 Sunday arvo, same time.
This is the program about British 'celebrities' (largely unknown to us) who walk..although not the whole way..to Santiago.
It polarised Forum members at the time it aired in the UK & I confess I was dismayed at the prospect myself, but I caught a glimpse of the program while walking the PWC though England last year & it was better than I thought it would be.
We can't get out there ourselves but it may just be the tonic we need for this strangest of Easters.
Happy viewing & planning or reminiscing!

 

[Kanga]

@kazrobbo thanks for the heads-up! I did watch it the first time but it will be good distraction to see it again.

 

[Chris Taggart]

Sounds Good, thanks for thinking of us.
Beautiful to reflect and remember with hope for future walks.
cheers

 

[Tassie Kaz]

@kazrobbo thanks for the heads-up! I did watch it the first time but it will be good distraction to see it again.

I didn't know it had made it to our screens before; can't believe I missed it...but maybe I was on a trail somewhere...
@Kanga, do you remember when/where it was screened previously? Pay TV or free-to-air?

 

[Kanga]

Not on Oz Tv - I got it via BBC

 

[OzAnnie]

Thanks @kazrobbo
I watched today 5pm- so realise it’s in 3 parts .
I’ll be watching Saturday and Sunday too.

It’s good to see the way at the moment and the Pyrenees looked beautifully green.

Annie

 

[David S. Coleman]

Hey, thanks for the alert. Just watched part one.
Beautiful visuals.

 

[JennyH94]

Hi Kaz -

Thanks so much for letting Aussie Forum members know about this. Talk about a beneficial coincidence! I’d been watching ‘Fake or Fortune’ on ABCiView when I flipped over to the Forum to check out the latest posts at 4.59! ‘Saw your thread and turned on the TV immediately! My sister Fran who I walked with on our family camino last year phoned a minute or so later to also alert me and during the programme a friend, Mary, also phoned to alert me.

I think the series was on last year on ABC TV, however, I first saw it when a fellow Forum member shared it when it was first screened in the UK. It could be seen on YouTube for a while however I think the series may not be available any longer.

It was such a lovely Easter gift Kaz - thank you! The second two episodes are absolute crackers - particularly the time the celebs stayed at the WONDERFUL Refugio Gaucelmo at Rabanal.

If you watch carefully, our dear Aussie fellow Forum member, Alan Pearce, puts in a ‘cameo’ appearance! He can be seen talking to the group at the Pilgrim Office while they’re waiting in the queue for their compostelas.

This series takes me right to the Camino - thank you Kaz so much for the gift of the ticket there.

Camino hugs -
Jenny xxx

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Sounds Good, thanks for thinking of us.
Beautiful to reflect and remember with hope for future walks.
cheers

Thanks @kazrobbo
I watched today 5pm- so realise it’s in 3 parts .
I’ll be watching Saturday and Sunday too.

It’s good to see the way at the moment and the Pyrenees looked beautifully green.

Annie

Hey, thanks for the alert. Just watched part one.
Beautiful visuals.

Very enjoyable viewing. As always it's interesting to watch the participants evolve from initial, superficial whingeing to realising there IS something about this pilgrimage thing...
Looking forward to the next 2 instalments (sorry, I wasn't clear about it being a 3 episode series in my OP...I've edited that now... ) & glad we only have to wait until tomorrow for our next fix!

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Hi Kaz -

Thanks so much for letting Aussie Forum members know about this. Talk about a beneficial coincidence! I’d been watching ‘Fake or Fortune’ on ABCiView when I flipped over to the Forum to check out the latest posts at 4.59! ‘Saw your thread and turned on the TV immediately! My sister Fran who I walked with on our family camino last year phoned a minute or so later to also alert me and during the programme a friend, Mary, also phoned to alert me.

I think the series was on last year on ABC TV, however, I first saw it when a fellow Forum member shared it when it was first screened in the UK. It could be seen on YouTube for a while however I think the series may not be available any longer.

It was such a lovely Easter gift Kaz - thank you! The second two episodes are absolute crackers - particularly the time the celebs stayed at the WONDERFUL Refugio Gaucelmo at Rabanal.

If you watch carefully, our dear Aussie fellow Forum member, Alan Pearce, puts in a ‘cameo’ appearance! He can be seen talking to the group at the Pilgrim Office while they’re waiting in the queue for their compostelas.

This series takes me right to the Camino - thank you Kaz so much for the gift of the ticket there.

Camino hugs -
Jenny xxx

Oh @JennyH94 ...thank you for your lovely message. The program & then your kind words have certainly given my spirits a lift. I'm only glad I found out the show was on in time to post a notice. Apart from your serendipitous 4.59pm Forum check, it seems you had others looking out for you anyway!
I'm really happy the timely showing of this program has been a bright spot for all of us who watched it. Walking any Camino seems like a different world now...& still a world away.
Thanks again Jenny, & to the other Forum members who replied, for taking the time to share your thoughts & joy...little acts go a long way.

 

[Chris Taggart]

Thanks again, it was good to be able to alert friends and family, especially a near 90 year old,
so they can see in part the Camino for themselves.
All have listened to us, ( at every opportunity ) and seen our photos and videos etc., but I think seeing a group of other people experiencing ‘the highs and lows’ of the journey, opens up an aspect that can’t be explained in words only.

 

[Lindsay53]

I've missed the first episode, but I will get the others tomorrow and Sunday. Thanks kazrobbo.

 

[holidayjenny]

ABC iview has it for those who missed it

 

[blueskywa]

Hi Kaz,
Luckily I caught the show as friends I'd walked part of the del Norte with text me and almost straight away, my sister also text me!! Have seen it previously on YouTube and was a real treat to see the beautiful scenery again, especially at this time.
Thanks for sharing this info as I didn't know when episodes 2 & 3 were screening - now I do!!!
Cheers....Lori

 

[John Crawford Howell]

Well, at least I'm gaining a better idea of who some of the active Forum members are from Auatralia

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Well, at least I'm gaining a better idea of who some of the active Forum members are from Auatralia

Yep...we're clinging to the Camino life-ring we've been tossed!

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Hi Kaz,
Luckily I caught the show as friends I'd walked part of the del Norte with text me and almost straight away, my sister also text me!! Have seen it previously on YouTube and was a real treat to see the beautiful scenery again, especially at this time.
Thanks for sharing this info as I didn't know when episodes 2 & 3 were screening - now I do!!!
Cheers....Lori

It's a real treat having the series on consecutive days...enjoy!

 

[DenWhite]

Hi Aussie house-bound pilgrims,
The good ol' ABC is screening 'Pilgrimage: the Road to Santiago' at 5pm (AEST) this afternoon (Good Friday) plus ep 2 on Saturday & ep 3 Sunday arvo, same time.
This is the program about British 'celebrities' (largely unknown to us) who walk..although not the whole way..to Santiago.
It polarised Forum members at the time it aired in the UK & I confess I was dismayed at the prospect myself, but I caught a glimpse of the program while walking the PWC though England last year & it was better than I thought it would be.
We can't get out there ourselves but it may just be the tonic we need for this strangest of Easters.
Happy viewing & planning or reminiscing!

Saw ep1 tonight. Could relate to some of the 'internal questioning' of one's life journey expounded by a couple of the participants resulting in the instantaneous magnetism of the Camino. Will keep watching, especially under the circumstances.

 

[Dancing Rain]

We would have been leaving for Spain in 9 days. We were hoping for some time of peace and reflection, after a time of loss. This brought back precious memories. And yes, it hurts not to be on that road again. But we also feel blessed to be safe and well.... Love and blessings as we find our way to journey together

 

[David S. Coleman]

Hello to my fellow Aussie’s. It’s nice to know you are out there. I really hope I get to meet some of you out on the way one day. I was all booked to walk my first Camino starting 1 June. It will happen, when the timing is right.
Yes, it’s nice it’s spread over three nights. More savouring.

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Hello to my fellow Aussie’s. It’s nice to know you are out there. I really hope I get to meet some of you out on the way one day. I was all booked to walk my first Camino starting 1 June. It will happen, when the timing is right.
Yes, it’s nice it’s spread over three nights. More savouring.

Welcome David...& yes, there's a lot of Aussies on the Forum. Many of us, like you, would usually be on the trail now or heading off soon...but this year is not at all 'usual'.
It's disappointing to cancel our plans, even more so for a 1st timer, but you'll find plenty of support here both from home shores & around the world.
And just imagine the time we can spread our wings again...now that is truly a thought to savour.

 

[David S. Coleman]

Thanks, Kaz and yes, this forum has helped me keep my Camino dream alive
and it's so nice to feel all the Aussies out there.
I used to take walks to get in shape for my walk,
now I am taking walks for the pure pleasure of being free to move about
and in deep gratitude for the immense natural beauty that surrounds me.
I am walking farther and longer with seemingly less effort and noticing things about
my own neighborhood that I never noticed in the 9 years that I have lived here.
It's nice to look forward to a Camino 'hit' tonight and tomorrow night.

 

[Leo Farrelly]

Hi Aussie house-bound pilgrims,
The good ol' ABC is screening 'Pilgrimage: the Road to Santiago' at 5pm (AEST) this afternoon (Good Friday) plus ep 2 on Saturday & ep 3 Sunday arvo, same time.
This is the program about British 'celebrities' (largely unknown to us) who walk..although not the whole way..to Santiago.
It polarised Forum members at the time it aired in the UK & I confess I was dismayed at the prospect myself, but I caught a glimpse of the program while walking the PWC though England last year & it was better than I thought it would be.
We can't get out there ourselves but it may just be the tonic we need for this strangest of Easters.
Happy viewing & planning or reminiscing!

Beautiful shots of the scenery. However, films such as this in the 'reality tv' genre are by definition scripted and hence coloured by the assumptions and attitudes of the producer. As we know, the beauty of the Camino is that is unscripted - it certainly was for me - and it doesn't need such drama to convey the message.

 

[movinmaggie]

I won't download it here, but those who can still remember WWII, might enjoy watching this. It's the D-Day Darlings singing 'White Cliffs of Dover'. It was part of Britain's Got Talent series. A simple Google or YouTube search should get you there...

 

[Slow walker Lib]

Thanks, it's lovely to see all the Aussies responding here. I'm looking forward to 'walking' into Santiago with them again this evening. Stay safe everyone.

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Thanks, it's lovely to see all the Aussies responding here. I'm looking forward to 'walking' into Santiago with them again this evening. Stay safe everyone.

It is lovely...& a reminder we're all in it together. Of course our thoughts & wishes are with the people & special places of the many countries a lot harder hit by Corona than Australia.

 

[bib]

Hello fellow Aussie Camino lovers

I discovered the end of the show last night and then thoroughly enjoyed watching the full first 2 episodes on ABC iview catch up. Looking forward to the last one. I was glad the show had a mix of people.

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Beautiful shots of the scenery. However, films such as this in the 'reality tv' genre are by definition scripted and hence coloured by the assumptions and attitudes of the producer. As we know, the beauty of the Camino is that is unscripted - it certainly was for me - and it doesn't need such drama to convey the message.

I agree it's not an ideal depiction of the Camino; the participants also would've been under pressure to 'react' to the experience. When you work it out, they've actually done very little walking so far (end of ep 2), but a lot of complaining. However with the current world-wide situation, I'll take something over nothing...any port in a storm!

 

[BruceS]

Kaz... this is lifting my spirits ... all my preparation and training (serious since September 2019) is now focusing on April 2021. Big thanks and for all the responses.

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Kaz... this is lifting my spirits ... all my preparation and training (serious since September 2019) is now focusing on April 2021. Big thanks and for all the responses.

I never imagined a simple post about the screening of a TV program would get such a response; it just shows we're looking for ways to reach out to each other. I can say without any hesitation, the replies, posts & kind words from everyone have made a real difference to me too.
Keep walking...it's doing us good mentally & physically even if the end goal is still a way off.
Take care & Sempre Avanti!

 

[BruceS]

"Semper Avanti" is something my grandfather has always said - he says it all the time. It means Ever Forward and Always Ahead. And it has become the most important philosophy in my life. Ever forward: Is a command.
I relate and warm to this. Thanks KAZ

 

[jl]

I was lucky Kaz, and managed to catch the first, and subsequent, episodes. I, like you, have not seen this in Australia, though there is a little that is familiar, and so I am thinking that I might have managed to see some excerpts somewhere in my travels.

There are many Aussies on this forum who I see as I lurk in the background. I would remind everyone that there are many pilgrim groups that meet in major centres - or did meet I should say, and I am sure they will resume meetings as soon as possible after we are released from our confinement. If you are interested in finding out when and where they meet (in "normal times") check out the list that is on the Australian Friends of the Camino website. https://www.afotc.org/

You can find back copies of our newsletter there too, and even articles written over the years by various forum members. There is a lot of reading on our website - a great chance to catch up in this time of "home detention". Take care & stay safe, Janet

 

[JennyH94]

Hi Kaz -

Hasn’t this been a wonderful series!

What a leveller it was for the celebs ... who would want that life ... being recognised everywhere they go and probably being approached all the time by people wanting selfies. To be in hiking clothes, without all the glamour - and particularly for the women - to have what has probably been millions of people which is the viewing audience, seeing them without the studio makeup and glam clothes - even though they DID wear makeup most of the time - would have been both a challenge and a liberation.

For a lot of us, we first embarked on our Camino journeys after reading a Camino memoir - we first felt the magic and the mystery of the Camino and then so longed to embark on that journey through that reading. We were future pilgrims. For the celebs this mightn’t have been the case - it would be great to know - but at the end of the day they did become pilgrims.

I wonder if the Camino stayed with them - if they returned to their everyday lives changed - did they begin to look at the world through Camino eyes (thank you @jl for this wonderful expression) - I like to think that they did.

This has been the BEST Easter gift, Kaz - thank you once again -

Camino hugs in spirit, from Culburra Beach -
Jenny xxx

 

[jl]

Beautiful shots of the scenery. However, films such as this in the 'reality tv' genre are by definition scripted and hence coloured by the assumptions and attitudes of the producer. As we know, the beauty of the Camino is that is unscripted

You are right Leo, the Camino is unscripted for those not being filmed, but I think that, in essence, the experiences participants had, the way they communicated, the conversations they had, these were often variations of conversations that I have had on my various Caminos - yes different people, different places, but often the same sentiments, as peregrinos reflected with others and shared what they were experiencing. I have "met" all of those pilgrims in the series on various pilgrimages, yes, different names, different pain, and on different paths, but isn't this what makes the Camino so special, as we share, confide, and help each other along the way?. Take care, Janet

 

[Whispering Ted]

Like all “reality television” it was more television than reality - but it was great to see the little bits of the Camino Frances they actually walked. The third episode was also a reminder of the crowds that have made the last 100 km of the Frances a depressing experience. It is a real shock after the comparative tranquility of the Camino Del Norte or the Primitivo, and the main reason for preferring the Via de la Plata or the Camino Portugues - the Camino experience continues all the way to Santiago.

 

[CaroleH]

Buen camino Aussie pilgrims... Jenny, Janet and all.... and happy Easter, or non-Easter. x

 

[Tassie Kaz]

"Semper Avanti" is something my grandfather has always said - he says it all the time. It means Ever Forward and Always Ahead. And it has become the most important philosophy in my life. Ever forward: Is a command.
I relate and warm to this. Thanks KAZ

I hadn't seen it written as 'semper' avanti before but now know both spellings are equally acceptable so thanks for the alternative! It's been my motto & outlook since I discovered this long distance walking caper in 2012 (CF).
It became even more special to me last year when I walked a combo of the PWC & VF (London to Rome). Walking through England in early spring is a daffodil-covered delight. Amazed at all the different varieties, I googled them only to find the name of my favourite daffodil is... Sempre Avanti

 

[JennyH94]

Buen camino Aussie pilgrims... Jenny, Janet and all.... and happy Easter, or non-Easter. x

And to you and yours too Carole - ‘hoping that we’ll all be able to catch up again before too long.
Xxx

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Hi Kaz -

Hasn’t this been a wonderful series!

What a leveller it was for the celebs ... who would want that life ... being recognised everywhere they go and probably being approached all the time by people wanting selfies. To be in hiking clothes, without all the glamour - and particularly for the women - to have what has probably been millions of people which is the viewing audience, seeing them without the studio makeup and glam clothes - even though they DID wear makeup most of the time - would have been both a challenge and a liberation.

For a lot of us, we first embarked on our Camino journeys after reading a Camino memoir - we first felt the magic and the mystery of the Camino and then so longed to embark on that journey through that reading. We were future pilgrims. For the celebs this mightn’t have been the case - it would be great to know - but at the end of the day they did become pilgrims.

I wonder if the Camino stayed with them - if they returned to their everyday lives changed - did they begin to look at the world through Camino eyes (thank you @jl for this wonderful expression) - I like to think that they did.

This has been the BEST Easter gift, Kaz - thank you once again -

Camino hugs in spirit, from Culburra Beach -
Jenny xxx

I'm so glad this series, & probably moreso the timing of it, delivered you so much Jenny. I find myself swinging a bit about my overall thoughts of it but it was wonderful to have a program dedicated to something so close to our hearts.
The only participant I knew of was Heather Small...& borrowing some of your serendipity, her song 'Proud' has been my walking anthem ever since my first Camino, the CF in 2012...
"I step out of the ordinary
I can feel my soul ascending
I'm on my way, can't stop me now
And you can do the same..."

From the response to my OP about the program being on, I took the liberty of submitting a feedback form to the ABC expressing appreciation & thanks for screening it...it's clearly meant a lot to the respondents of this thread. Knowing there's an audience for this type of series, I'm hoping they will also air 'Pilgrimage: the Road to Rome' sometime. I was actually walking the VF this time last year & have been re-living my itinerary day-by-day.

You're right; the program has been an Easter gift...but the best part has been getting to know our fellow Aussie Forum members just that little bit better...& finding we really are feeling the same way.
Thank YOU Jenny for being one of them!
Warm thoughts & best wishes from Tassie.

 

[dougfitz]

I took the liberty of submitting a feedback form to the ABC on behalf of all of us, expressing our appreciation & thanks for screening it.

That was indeed a liberty.

 

[Tassie Kaz]

That was indeed a liberty.

Done purely in general terms & only my details submitted. If TV stations know they have an audience, I hope we may see more programming on the topics which so move us...literally & metaphorically!