Welcome to the Meseta

Easy walk today. 12 miles with no big hills to contend with. I am entering the area of Spain called the meseta…or plateau (probably from the Spanish for table…mesa). I will be in the meseta for the next 8+ days. It’s the largely empty land of wheat and grain fields. The villages are few and far apart, with no trees or streams/rivers. I’m told that this is the part of the Camino that is harder on your head (mentally) than on your feet. Other pilgrims say that this is where they’re able to solve their problems, decide their future and reconcile with their past. There are few distractions to intrude on your thougths. Some say that this part of the Camino is boring. Others find it enlightening. I’ll let you know.

I’m in a wonderful alberque tonight. I’m rooming with a lovely couple from Aix-en-Provence in France, and a man from Portugal. I had dinner tonight in the alberque, sitting with a woman from Perth, Australia and a young man from Calle, Colombia. It was a great evening. A picture of our paella dinner is below. We shared stories of the Camino with our pictures and tales of the road. The couple from France did half of the Camino last year…St. Jean to Burgos. This year, they started in Burgos and will walk through to Santiago. Tomorrow’s another day and another walk. Life is good. My nephew James (the most knowing of these kind of things) said…”Danny…I don’t like my hikes until I’m two weeks into them. Today is my two week mark on the Camino. It was a good day….I hope James is right.