The start of the Meseta

I wasn’t sure what to expect today, as we made our way from Burgos to Hornillos del Camino - and the start of the Meseta. The good news is that 21 km is feeling easier each day.

Burgos is a lively and clean city, with a beautiful river and expansive park/promenade running alongside it right through the city. But it is still a big city with its closely built high-rise buildings, cars, cafés, people walking their dogs or walking to work or school. The cacophony of horns honking, people chatting and laughing, babies crying, church bells ringing. And the smell of exhaust mixed with café con leche and freshly baked pastries. It can feel a bit intense after many days in small villages. As we left it behind, we walked by the University of Burgos on the western edge of the city, a neighborhood that had that youthful, hip vibe that most university communities have. As we moved beyond the university, things began to spread out a bit more - the buildings more widely spaced and not as tall. And we transitioned from sidewalks to a dirt trail that ran along a vast green meadow, where it was just us pilgrims. And of course birds and cats and all manner of critters.

We’ve seen a number of people cycling on the Camino - some on mountain bikes, and some on road bikes. Neither seems to work with all of the types of terrain one encounters on the Camino. There are some stretches of paved roads where road bikes are great. But there are also many more stretches of gravel and dirt paths where mountain bikes are more fitting. I think it would be very difficult to do this on a bike. I also noticed a number of cyclists not wearing padded cycling shorts. Ouch! (My fellow cyclists will understand that pain!) And the cyclists don’t tend to use bells here, so they sneak up on you which is quite startling especially if you are lost in thought!

We planned to stop for lunch in Tarjados, but we couldn’t find a cafe. It seems there was only one and somehow we missed it. So we moved on another 2km and stopped in a little town called Rabe de las Calzadas. We chatted with Monique from the Netherlands who is an avid trekker and has done several of these walking vacations all over the world. She said she is looking forward to the open expanse and solitude of the Meseta. There are a lot of mixed feelings about the Meseta. Apparently many skip it and take a bus from Burgos to Leon because it can be monotonous; the landscape doesn’t change much for ~175km which is likely why it is the perfect setting for getting into that mental space that the Camino provides. (They say the Camino unfolds in three stages: the physical, the mental and the spiritual. More on that later.) My experience of the Meseta so far is that it was windy. I had to ditch my sun hat because the wind was blowing the brim either down over my eyes, or up so it wasn’t shielding my face. I opted for my baseball cap which stayed in place, but then I had to pull the buff over my ears to protect them and my neck from the sun. I don’t think it is a fashion trend that’s going to catch on!

On the way out of the village, we came upon a beautiful little chapel, Ermita de Nuestra Senora de Monasterio. We were greeted by another Camino angel, a lovely and nurturing nun named Sister Teresa who joyfully greets all pilgrims, gives them a stamp and a medallion of Nuestra Senora to watch over us on our journey. I asked if I could take a photo of the chapel, and she said “Si, esta es tu casa” (“Yes, this is your house”). The hymn Ave Maria was softly playing in the chapel, and it was so peaceful and comforting. I could feel my mom there in that sacred space, and just started to cry. I know she is with us on this journey and somehow I think she guided us to that chapel.

As I walked today, my thoughts wandered to Mark. What a wonderful man he is and how lucky I am. Someone asked me the other day if my husband minded that I was doing this journey without him. I said no, quite the opposite! He has supported and encouraged me all along while I trained and prepared, and is holding down the fort while I’m gone. Which includes caring for two high-maintenance dogs and a cat that likes to taunt them. He is giving me the gift of time and space to reflect and renew. (Although I wonder if walking 482 miles really counts as renewal… we shall see!) Shout out to you, Sasquatch! You’re the best - love you and miss you!

So about the three stages of the Camino. The first part is the physical where you focus on what your body is doing and feeling: the muscles awakening to walking for hours each day, adjusting to new sleeping and eating cycles, tinkering with your gear. The second part is the mental aspect, where you focus less on your body and get into your head. You pay attention to your thoughts, you work through challenges or struggles - work, relationships, habits you want to break, maybe habits you want to adopt. The final part is the spiritual, where the focus is on whatever you believe that is bigger than us, or beyond this life. Or perhaps it is just a meeting up with yourself, the core of who you are and what you want to do with the time you have left on this earth. I am apprehensive, but looking forward to all of it.

A note about the stamps that I have mentioned. It is tradition that, as you visit places along the Camino, you get a stamp as evidence that you were there as a pilgrim. Any cafe, restaurant, hotel, church or tourist office can give you a stamp and date it. They each create their own artistic stamp, which is pretty cool to see the variety and progression of your journey. When you get to the cathedral in Santiago, you show them your “pilgrim passport” with all of your stamps and you will get a certificate (or compostela). Bragging rights to show the folks back home.