S3 Ep Adventure

Network Sting: MSW Media

Martin: Hello and welcome to the third season of the Martin Sheen Podcast with yours truly, Martin Sheen, of course. And I’m delighted to be back hosting this podcast pilgrimage, where the destination is still and always will be the journey itself. Along the way, I plan to share stories and personal memories of some of the many people, places and events that have helped to shape my lifelong happy and continuing struggle as an artist and a man to unite the will of the spirit with the work of the flesh. I also hope to explore poetry as a powerful form of expression and communication by proxy, as it were, and how poetry is such a vital and necessary component of our spirituality and our public discourse. And from time to time, I’ll invite friends, fellow actors, poets, scholars and family members to join our pilgrimage and discuss what inspires their artistic journey. And so, friends, let us continue.

Martin: This episode is dedicated in loving memory of my dear friend and fellow actor, Matt Clark.

Martin: El Camino in a Red Mercedes Benz.

Our Irish reunion in May 2003 concluded with an appropriate finale at Paddy’s Pub in Terry Glass with our Irish cousins and friends. When all was said and done, I had to admit I enjoyed the whole reunion adventure with my six siblings far more than I had anticipated. And so, on a whim, I suggested the possibility of extending the reunion to Spain and walk the Camino together as pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela. Granted, it was a last-minute suggestion and conflicted with everyone’s plans to return to the States the following day. That is, everyone except my dear friend Matt and my grandson Taylor, who joked they felt stuck with me. Nevertheless, with our gang of eight reduced to three, it was off to Spain with those two whom I adored. After we arrived in Madrid and settled into a hotel on the Calle Atocha near my sister Carmen’s home, I began to plan our Camino pilgrimage. But wait, what was I thinking? Clearly, I had no idea of the reality of such a plan. To begin with, I had barely three weeks before I had to return to Los Angeles to begin filming season four of the West Wing. Besides that, I was nearly 63 and hardly in shape for while a 500 mile trek across northern Spain that would take at least 35 days or more to complete for an average man half my age. Not to mention all the necessary equipment needed for the journey, including backpacks and walking boots, bedrolls, headgear, maps and a first aid kit. Plus all the normal day to day grooming items and at least one change of clothes. Though I should have known it was a hare-brained scheme before I left Ireland, and I apologized to Taylor and Matt for dragging them along. But they were both good sports and were happy to spend some time in Spain before returning to Los Angeles. And I was too. Though I confessed my Camino disappointment that evening at Carmen’s when her husband Angel casually suggested I could rent a car and drive the Camino. It would only take a few days, he said, and at least you would have some idea of what it might be like for a future pilgrimage. At first the idea seemed absurd. I knew people biked the Camino and some even went on horseback, but wouldn’t a car negate the whole purpose of a pilgrimage? On second thought, I was a tourist, not a pilgrim, so why not? Matt and Taylor were on board and agreed to share the driving. So the next morning we walked down to the nearby Atoche Railway Station to rent a car. But the only one available was a red Mercedes Benz with a stick shift. And of course, Matt was the only one of us who knew how to drive it, so it was up to him. He agreed to get us started if we agreed to let him teach us how to drive it along the way. Of course we agreed, and that afternoon we mapped out our route and headed north for a 200-mile drive to the historic city of Burgos, the first major destination on the Camino. It was after dark when we arrived and there were no beds available at the local albergue. But our search led us to a cafe where a posted sign welcomed pilgrims to El Molino, A Casa Rual, about 15 miles from Burgos. We located it on the map and arrived in time to join the pilgrim supper and we secured three small single rooms for the night. El Molino, which means the mill, was like a large rustic country estate for pilgrims, owned and run by a warm and hospitable couple named Maximilian and Milagros. After a comfortable night, the next morning at breakfast, Matt was determined to teach Taylor and I how to drive the Mercedes. The area around El Molino was rural with very light traffic, ideal for driver’s ed, Matt said. So Taylor took the first lesson while I decided to pilgrim to the nearest pueblo. It was a beautiful day and I was enjoying the walk until I was confronted by several barking stray dogs. Stray dogs have intimidated me since childhood when I was attacked by one. Mind you, these dogs were certainly not attacking. They were only doing what I suppose they always did when they saw a stranger. And no doubt we were equally afraid of each other. But there was no one around to mediate the situation. So I made a hasty retreat down a different road and became hopelessly lost. Meanwhile, Matt and Taylor had been driving frantically all over the area for nearly an hour before they finally spotted me on the main road trying to find my way back to the Molino. I was delighted to see them, but the atmosphere in the car was somewhat strained and we drove around in silence for a while until Matt found a suitable spot for my required driver’s ed class. He was a very good teacher and thanks to his patience and skill, my gear shifting ability progressed rapidly. Before long, I was downshifting in traffic. To my own surprise and Matt’s satisfaction, we were joy riding around the countryside when suddenly we discovered a small natural hot spring open to the public. To our amazement, we had it to ourselves all afternoon, and it proved a perfect space to soak, relax, and return to the fun and joy of each other’s company. As it grew dark, we decided to return to El Molino, hoping to spend another night there. Luckily, Maximilian and Milagros had held our rooms and once again they invited us to join the pilgrim supper. I made sure Taylor sat next to me during the meal because he spoke enough Spanish to interpret for Matt and me. There were pilgrims from as far away as Japan and South Korea, but most came from Europe, with the majority from Spain. The meal was family style and one of the servers was a beautiful young girl who paused when she arrived directly across the table from Taylor. She smiled at him, he smiled back, and for one brief moment time seemed to stand still between them. Finally, she asked him in Spanish, do you smoke? I do, he responded. Would you like to join me for a cigarette outside? She asked. Yeah, sure, he replied, and the two of them disappeared together. I looked at Matt, who just shrugged with a smile, and I just shrugged back. They returned from their cigarette break about a half hour later. The young girl’s name was Julia and she worked at the Molino part time. She was Milagros’ only daughter. The spark I thought I saw between her and my grandson was just that, a spark and nothing more. And early the next morning we left the Molino and continued our red Mercedes Camino tour to the next town of Orsoro, then on to the next major destination, the magnificent City of Leon, where we splurged and stayed at the Parador Hotel. We left Leon and spent nearly a half day in the ancient walled city of Astorga that boasted a famous Gaudi house and museum, and we discussed the possibility of staying overnight there, but then decided instead to drive to Ponferrada, which is less than a day’s drive from Santiago de Compostela. The following morning, we reached Cruz de Ferro, One of the most revered destinations on the Camino, Then through Ourense for a brief stop. Then by late morning, we arrived at our destination, Santiago de Compostela, in the Plaza Orbradorio, in time for the pilgrim’s mass at noon in the Cathedral of St. James, where we joined over a thousand pilgrims from all over the world who gathered to celebrate the completion of their pilgrimage and to carry its special grace for the rest of their lives. That night at the hotel, we studied the map and planned our return to Madrid by a more scenic route. Early the next morning, we headed north to La Coruna, then east along the North Atlantic via Costa Verde, through Gijon to Sanander, then South to Bilbao. We visited the Guggenheim museum there and afterwards played a pickup basketball game with some local youngsters in a park. And by late afternoon, we headed to Madrid via Burgos, undecided if we should stop in Burgos overnight or drive through the night to Madrid. Matt and I were fine with either choice, but Taylor was most adamant about staying overnight in Burgos, and reluctantly, he explained why. Unbeknownst to us, he had been on his cell phone with Julia, throughout the trip, and she had invited him to a soccer match that evening in Burgos. I should have known it was more than a spark. So now what? The plan, that is, their plan was for us to pick a restaurant in Burgos, she would join us, they would attend the soccer match, he would stay overnight with her family, and she would drive him back to Madrid the next day. Simple enough, I suppose, although I had misgivings. But Taylor was determined, and with all due respect, he reminded me that he was 18 and an adult. Of course, I had to agree. But still, very reluctantly, Matt and I drove back to Madrid without him. When they didn’t show up in Madrid the next day, my misgivings were confirmed, and my sister Carmen was very upset. She said it was irresponsible of me to have left Taylor in Burgos, no matter what the circumstances. And I had to agree. Taylor was not answering his cell phone all day, and since we had returned the Mercedes Angel offered to drive us to Burgos to find Taylo and bring him back. But just as we started to leave, the phone rang. To our great relief, it was Taylor. He apologized profusely, said he forgot to charge his phone. Then he explained that Julia had taken him around all day to meet her family and friends, and that the Time simply got away from them. But he assured us that they would be back in Madrid tomorrow, and indeed they were. No sooner had they arrived, however, when Carmen, who I should mention is a schoolteacher and speaks perfect Spanish, cornered Julia with the third degree about her intentions with Taylor. Before long, however, she was won over and even predicted that together, Taylor and Julia might soon begin to close the gap between Los Angeles and Burgos. Of course, I wasn’t sure of anything more than a budding friendship between the two. But a few days later, as we were flying home, Taylor, who had always been very shy on personal matters, confided to me that he was deeply in love with Julia, and that he wanted to return to Spain as soon as possible to be with her. I told him if he truly loved her, to follow the light of his own heart and rest assured, it would lead him where he belonged. Several weeks later, he did precisely that, returning to Spain on a student visa. He lived in Burgos, where he and Julio, were married several years later at the Molino, where they met. They split their time now between Los Angeles and Burgos with their beautiful seven-year-old daughter, Alma. Taylor’s father, my son Emilio, would visit him often in Burgos, where he gradually became intrigued with the Camino and began to write a story about a father who loses his son on the Camino. Eventually, it would become the screenplay for his brilliant film, The Way, in which I played the lead and he directed. He is currently preparing The Way Part two. And I can’t wait to get back on the Camino again.

Martin: We’re going to take a brief pause now, but please don’t go away. There’s a lot more to come.

Martin: And we’re back.

Martin: After we had finished recording for the day, my sound editor, producer and I were joined in the studio by my grandson Taylor and his wife Julia, who stopped by to have a little visit at the mic and share some stories and laughs. It’s becoming clear to me that no family member seems to be out of reach of this podcast pilgrimage, and I’m delighted to welcome them.

Martin: Okay, so, Taylor and Julia, welcome to the mic for this podcast. We’re so delighted to have you.

Taylor: I’m delighted to see, my contract.

Martin: I knew it. I knew this. Oh, I hope you’re comfortable and you’ll enjoy this. If not, it’s your own fault. Okay, we just played the story of the Camino in a red Mercedes, which, you just heard. So what are your initial thoughts before. Hey, get back here. Where are you going? Renee: Wait A minute, wait a minute.

Martin Sheen: They just ran right out.

Taylor: Can I get sound effects here?

Martin: So first of all, that was written from my memory, and I’m sure that you have, if not opinions, some corrections on the story. would you be kind enough to share your thoughts and so forth?

Renee: Renee here, your producer. Can I just maybe start with saying, well, what were you thinking when he said, let’s go to Spain and do the Camino? Taylor?

Taylor: Oh, my God. I really was not that interested in doing it, but I felt obliged because he was also my employer.

Martin: Yeah, well, you were stuck with me. I think I put that in the story. Yeah, you were a good sport, I have to say.

Taylor: Okay, fine. I really wanted to hang out with my friends in the summertime, rather than go to Spain. But you got offered, like, three different pilgrimages. Yeah. And you couldn’t. You said no to all of them, but the Camino stuck in your head, and that’s why you’re like, oh, church hopping. That sounds like my jam.

Martin Sheen: Church hopping!

Taylor: Well, that’s what, that’s what it was. That his Camino was literally just church, church hopping.

Renee: A church crawl.

Martin: Well. So there you have it. Oh, my God. You were talking before we began the interview about, what was that moment like when they first set eyes on each other.

Renee: The way that you had it written in the story is literally like the Romeo and Juliet moment, you know, from across the room. This way you write it, it was across the table. So we’re getting this incredible perspective from Martin about it, you know, And I’m just wondering, like, what was that moment like for the two of you?

Martin: Did my description of that, moment, which I said kind of stopped in time? was that accurate between the two of you?

Taylor: It pains me to admit it, but kind of, yeah.

Martin: Am I right?

Renee: But you just happened to have come that night to help out and used,

Taylor: to have dinner there, and then Julio would. You would go frequently, right?

Julia: Yeah, all the time.

Taylor: Yeah, all the time. Go to Molino. And your mom called you and said, there’s this kid here, he’s bored with all these old people. And you said, is he handsome? And she said, no, not really.

Julia: That was exactly how it went. It’s 100%.

Martin: Are you serious?

Renee: Oh, my God.

Martin: Milagros asked if this kid at the supper table was handsome?

Taylor: No, no, no, I asked, Julia asked, oh. And Milagros said, no, not really.

Martin: Milagros was present at the supper? And Milagros said you weren’t handsome?

Taylor: She said, no, not really.

Martin: She said, no, not really?

Taylor: So she left a little bit of margin for error.

Julia: Might have just been her opinion.

Martin: This is news to me. All this subterfuge was going on in

Taylor: But in recent years, she said that I have become more handsome, so.

Martin: Oh, of course. Why am I not surprised? You’ve stuck around a while. Yeah. Okay.

Taylor: I think after we had the kid, she’s like, all right, fine, he’s handsome.

Martin: Now we get to the moment of that meeting of the beautiful young girl and the not so handsome young man.

Julia: He was so handsome. When I saw him, I was like, whoa.

Martin: Oh, my God. Whoa. How do you say whoa in Spanish?

Julia: Exactly the same.

Taylor: No, you say it like this. Guao!

Martin: Wow. Okay. All right. And I had that moment, as you heard me describe in the story, that the time stood still. The two of you were on another planet.

Taylor: It was pretty close. You could hear the outside door ring a bell whenever it opens or closes. So the bell rung.

Martin: Yeah.

Taylor: So you kind of turn and, she burst through the door. And then that’s when time slowed down. A disco ball dropped from the ceiling. The whole room was shimmering and darkened. There was a spotlight on Julia, and I was just like, well, I guess I’m moving to Spain.

Martin: Turning point. All right, that was pretty much it. You were a goner when you first saw him. My memory is you asked him, did he smoke? Was that accurate?

Julia: Kind of. Yeah.

Martin: Yeah. And he answered,

Taylor: Tell the truth, Julia.

Julia: He said, do you smoke? I said, yeah, and we just went outside to smoke because that’s,

Taylor: Out of respect for you.

Julia: Out of respect for you, yeah.

Martin: So it had nothing to do with your just wanting to be alone for a few minutes?

Taylor: I mean, it was a happy coincidence.

Martin: Yeah, a happy coincidence. Okay, swell.

Renee: What did you guys talk about when you went out for a cigarette? I’m just curious, because your Spanish was very limited.

Martin: What did you say?

Taylor: That’s private.

Martin: Oh, Sorry, sorry. Okay. We can’t. We can’t.

Taylor: No, no, no, no.

Julia: It’s fine.

Renee: But I’m just curious because I know your Spanish was very limited and your English was, you know. You didn’t speak English and he didn’t speak. You didn’t speak a ton of Spanish.

Taylor: I spoke limp through high school Spanish and she spoke.

Julia: We started learning English at, ah, third grade or something.

Martin: You’re still skirting the question.

Taylor: Yes, I am.

Martin: What did you talk about when you were out there having that smoke?

Taylor: We just talked about our lives.

Julia: Yeah. And.

Taylor: you told me about your life. You told me a lot. You told me about your childhood. I don’t know how you told me because I didn’t understand anything. But I also understood everything, which is very strange. We probably understood each other better then than we do now.

Martin: You’ve been trying to get back to that moment.

Taylor: Well, now we both speak enough of each other’s language to correct each other. Back then it was just like, yeah, whatever you say.

Julia: I don’t know.

Martin: Okay, so the, next morning we left and we decided to go towards Burgos. And we were discussing whether we should stop in Burgos and have dinner or should we just go right through Burgos and get back to Madrid. And you piped up in the backseat and said, what?

Taylor: I politely insisted that we stop in Burgos without letting on to anything. I didn’t want, I knew that my ruse would be up if I let on too much. So I said, we really ought to stop at Burgos. It was a really lovely town.

Martin: This is true. Yeah. But there was something that you were keeping from us that you had to reveal because we were very curious about why you were determined, to stop in Burgos.

Taylor: I just wanted to hang out with some of my friends that I told you. I just had some friends I wanted to see.

Martin: But you had never been to Burgos except with us. And I don’t remember you having any friends.

Taylor: Yeah, I make fast friends, apparently.

Martin: Yes, this is true, however,

Taylor: because we came to Burgos a day early and she went to Bilbao.

Julia: From Bilbao, I went to Burgos and I went to pick him up at the hotel that you were staying at, and the next morning he said, I’m gonna talk to my grandpa and I’m gonna tell him that I really wanna stay here a couple of days while they are in Madrid.

Taylor: Cause we had like five or six or seven days before we had to leave Spain from when we landed in Burgos for the last time. And we were gonna spend almost a week in Madrid, I think.

Julia: So he talked to you and you’re like, oh. You were like, okay. So he stayed with me. And then a couple of days later, we went back to Madrid and Angel, called me and he said, what are your intentions?

Martin: Angel called and said, what are your intentions? And you said?

Julia: Well, he’s the one.

Martin: Okay, so you came back to Madrid together. And you got the third degree from Angel, not Carmen?

Martin: So I blame Carmen.

Renee: No, but it sounds like a Carmen thing.

Martin: It sounds, yeah. Carmen probably would have done it, but Angel is such a bully. He decided, I’ll do the third degree on her. Just let me have a, let me have a hand at her. And he did. Wow. I just, I’m just astonished that all this is being revealed. And I’m sorry that I invited you here today. And these proceedings are concluded. My God.

Martin: So you say goodbye in Madrid, then?

Julia: Or.

Taylor: No, no, wait a minute.

Julia: So that night when we were having dinner, he kept saying, like, I have to tell you something. I have to talk to you. I’m like, okay, but when we’re, when we’re back at the hotel, I’m like, okay. And then we were back at the hotel. He said, what do you think if I move to Spain with you? I’m like, I will be so happy if that happens. So that’s what happened. Month later, he was in Spain. He moved there. And that was 20, almost 23 years ago. And we were living there for nine years

Taylor: Almost 10

Renee: Now, that, that takes a lot of courage to make that leap, you know, that’s amazing, Taylor.

Taylor: I think it would have been more courageous to go against that instinct, because really, it took no effort at all. It was, it would have been harder to pretend that nothing happened or it didn’t matter

Martin: A miracle that you found each other when and where you did and how you did, and that that fire is still burning brighter than ever. And you’re both a great source of joy in our lives. And so despite how you really think about me, Taylor, I think it’s important for people.

Taylor: Move on, get on with it. Come on, man. Grandpa, you’re one of my favorite people on the planet. And not just because of your role in Captain Nuke and the Bomber Boys.

Martin: I think if you don’t have anything else to share, Bruce, you’ve been very quiet. We usually, oh, okay. I think, we’re getting close to these proceedings, concluding. Thank you so much, Taylor and Julia, for joining us. Thank you so much.

Julia: Well, thank you for bringing Taylor to Spain 23 years ago and do all of that. So now we are here.

Martin: It’s your fault. No, it’s my fault, and I’m delighted. Thank you so much for joining us.

Julia: Thank you.

Martin: I love you both.

Julia: We love you, too.

Martin: And thank you so much for this time with you. I really appreciate it.

Martin: I invite you to delve further into the works of the poets I shared with you, and I hope you seek out writers and poets whose work speaks to your hearts and minds with the power to inspire your life. If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve heard here, please subscribe to my podcast, The Martin Sheen Podcast with your host, yours truly, Martin Sheen. Of course, wherever you find your podcasts. Yeah, I still have to say that you can find a complete list of the poets and title of their poems that I’ve chosen at our website themartensheenpodcast.com

I want to thank the people who make this podcast possible. Our producer and research assistant, Renee Estevez, whose explanation of the Internet really gets me thinking… What’s for lunch? And our sound engineer and editor, Bruce Greenspan, the man behind these rich and seamless recordings with the much-deserved nickname the Sound Surgeon. And I especially want to thank you our listeners, for joining me.

And so friends, we part with the prayer from Tagore.

We are called to lift up this nation and all its people to that place where the heart is without fear and the head is held high, where knowledge is free, where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls, where words come out from the depths of truth and tireless striving stretches its arms, towards perfection, where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sands of dead habit, where the mind is led forward by Thee, into ever widening thought and action, into that heaven of freedom. Dear Father, let our country awake. Amen.

Renee: The Martin Sheen Podcast, all rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form without prior written consent of the author and TE Productions.

The story “El Camino in a Red Mercedes Benz” by Ramon Gerard Estevez, AKA Martin Sheen, is included here by copyright permission of the authority.