My friend Cathy Seitchik Diaz alerted me to a new docu-show that aired on Spanish television in July. The ¡Buen Camino! series followed pilgrims from more than 100 countries who were walking, biking, and even horseback riding on the Camino in spring 2017.  Cathy was one of the pilgrims that was interviewed by host Marta Márquez. I remember when Cathy emailed me route reports on the Camino Francés, she mentioned a TV show and that a drone camera was following her overhead.  She said she was a little nervous about being interviewed on camera, but because she is so passionate about the Camino, she was excited to spread the word.

Behind the scenes of Cathy being interviewed by the host, Marta.

Now we can finally see how this footage came together in a beautifully produced and fun to watch series at www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/buen-camino/.

The website and episodes are in Spanish, but you can translate the page and subtitles into English by using the Chrome browser. Just right-click on the page, and select “Translate to English.”

Cathy appears in Episode 6 around the 14:50, 45:30, and 50:10 minute marks. In the first segment, Cathy shares how she learned about the Camino, the growth that she experiences, and the unexpected joy of walking alone.

Cathy with the ¡Buen Camino! show host Marta Márquez

When she spoke about carrying her late mother’s ashes to the Cruz de Ferro, Marta got teary-eyed.

Cathy’s passion for the Camino is contagious even on camera!  It was fun to see the familiar face of a friend who has inspired me and many others to walk the Camino.

I don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t seen it yet, but the episode ends in a poignant moment with Cathy spreading her mother’s ashes at Finisterre. And at the very end, there’s a photo of Cathy’s mom Arlene running a marathon.  I can see where Cathy gets her strength. Like mother, like daughter!

¡Buen Camino! Episodes:

1. Episode 1
2. Episode 2
3. Episode 3
4. Episode 4
5. Episode 5
6. Episode 6
7. Episode 7
8. Episode 8
9. Episode 9

More about ¡Buen Camino!

In each episode, Marta Márquez meets with a variety of pilgrims, who share exciting, surprising, funny, interesting, and authentic stories. People of Japan, India, Bahamas, the Congo, the United States, etc., join in this experience, many starting their Camino from France, Portugal, Finland, Malaga, Ireland and other parts of Europe. We see and hear their personal challenges, their motivations, their experiences, their anecdotes and their stories. Produced in Spain on RTVE in collaboration with LAVINIA Audiovisual.

Cathy’s Route Report

See Cathy’s full route report of Camino Francés—complete with daily distances, photos, observations and useful tips—in a four-part series:

• Camino Francés Part 1 – Days 1-12
• Camino Francés Part 2 – Days 13-23
• Camino Francés Part 3 – Days 24-33
• Camino Francés Part 4 – Days 34-40