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We sit down with full-time musician Felix Peralta to trace how a Camino Frances singer-songwriter retreat turns foggy mornings, cafe sing-alongs, and daily miles into a finished album. Along the way, we talk honestly about grief, sobriety, and the rare kind of friendship that forms when you put your heart on the table.

• Felix’s life as a touring musician and community drummer in New Mexico
• Meeting Christina Jacobson, getting sober, and choosing a new path
• Saying yes to a Camino de Santiago songwriting retreat and traveling to Spain
• Finding creative fuel in fog, hills, cafes, and simple daily rhythm
• Writing constantly on the move with voice notes, sticky notes, and small moments
• Celebrating 10+ years of sobriety as a personal gift and reset
• Cruz de Ferro as a place to release grief, lost loves, and old habits
• Feeling ancestral connection and making a promise to stop generational trauma
• Co-writing “Hearts on the Table” with Stefan Webster and why men need space to talk
• Bringing Camino magic home through art, performance, and continued healing
• Tips for returning home: keep making something that reopens the memory

Connect with Felix:

https://felixgatoperalta.com/

Info on Kristina's Camino Retreats for Musicians and Singer Songwriters:

https://www.singmebackhomesongwriting.com/

Hearts on the Table recording appears with permission from Felix Peralta and Staffan Wester.

Photos and Recordings Courtesy of Sing Me Back Retreats, Felix Peralta, Staffan Wester, and/or Camino Cafe Podcast

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Become a supporter of The Camino Cafe Podcast:

🎙️💖 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1751717/support

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🎵 The Camino Cafe's intro and outro song is in thanks to fellow Pilgrim, Jackson Maloney. Original Song - "Finnis Terre" - written and performed by Jackson Maloney - Singer, Musician, and Songwriter.

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Staffan Website

https://epk.recordunion.com/wes

Staffan Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570463024061&ref=1

Staffan Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/wes_weswebb/

Staffan Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/artist/01YlKlKwoNGUo1bL7ytOS6?si=noQTrjWEQ96oS3o_jQbgRQ

Songs featured on the show:

Hearts on the Table

https://open.spotify.com/track/387u6NnjrOr5hOw9GpGh31?si=a136eb76af674da3

Dear Lester

https://open.spotify.com/track/48CYwJCFMzdtZQb7GTBpCr?si=4147bec847314eb6

To Join a Camino Singer Songwriter Retreat with Dr. Kristina Jacobsen:

https://www.singmebackhomesongwriting.com/santiago

Podcast with Kristina

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/110-melodies-of-the-soul-a-singers-journey/id1562037974?i=1000647863435

All songs played with permission from Dr. Kristina's Retreat Final Concert and from the artists on the professional recordings.

Support the show

Become a supporter of The Camino Cafe Podcast:

🎙️💖 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1751717/support

Buy Me a Coffee:

☕️💛 https://buymeacoffee.com/caminocafepodcast

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
🔴 ▶️https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6VN9ze3z61n6tRLtDXWuQw

Follow us on Instagram:
📸 https://www.instagram.com/thecaminocafepodcast/

🎵 The Camino Cafe's intro and outro song is in thanks to fellow Pilgrim, Jackson Maloney. Original Song - "Finnis Terre" - written and performed by Jackson Maloney - Singer, Musician, and Songwriter.

Send a text

A new talk show format! Join our conversation as we discuss various Camino topics to help in planning your first walk or to reminisce about your own pilgrim experiences. We open with on‑the‑ground news from Santiago: fierce winter storms, a rare snowfall, and a temporary closure at Santiago’s airport that will reroute some spring arrivals. We separate fact from rumor around a potential papal visit, and even share a peek at a Netflix production setting up a medieval market near the cathedral. Context matters—understanding timing, transport, and crowds helps you walk with more ease and fewer surprises.

From there, we dive into the questions every pilgrim wrestles with. Should you book ahead or keep your plans loose? Our panel compares stress levels, seasonal crowds, budget realities, and friendship dynamics, then offers a hybrid approach that preserves spontaneity while safeguarding rest. We also unpack the solo question with honest care: why walking alone can be empowering, how to set clear boundaries when a friend asks to join, and practical safety moves like checking in at cafes, choosing more populated routes, and carrying simple tools that boost confidence.

We also say the quiet part out loud: bio breaks and trail etiquette. Hydrate smart, use cafe bathrooms respectfully, carry out your toilet paper, and skip foot care at the table. You’ll learn the kit that prevents blisters—toe socks, midday sock changes, and walking your own pace—and the micro‑habits that keep you injury‑free when the crowd moves faster than your body wants. And because a Camino isn’t just kilometers, we celebrate small delights: a cold stream that resets swollen feet, a shady tree nap that restores patience, or a dawn birdwatch with Merlin that opens a new window into Spain’s landscape.

We close with ways to give back, from hospitalero training and albergue service to local food pantries and trail cleanups. Whether you’re mapping your first steps or returning for your sixth route, this conversation offers grounded advice, real‑world examples, and the gentle nudge to make choices that match your season of life. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a pilgrim friend, and leave a quick review—what’s your top Camino tip for new walkers?

Support the show

Become a supporter of The Camino Cafe Podcast:

🎙️💖 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1751717/support

Buy Me a Coffee:

☕️💛 https://buymeacoffee.com/caminocafepodcast

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
🔴 ▶️https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6VN9ze3z61n6tRLtDXWuQw

Follow us on Instagram:
📸 https://www.instagram.com/thecaminocafepodcast/

🎵 The Camino Cafe's intro and outro song is in thanks to fellow Pilgrim, Jackson Maloney. Original Song - "Finnis Terre" - written and performed by Jackson Maloney - Singer, Musician, and Songwriter.