Almost There: A Travelogue of Surrender and Flow: La Meseta

Section III: La Meseta

October 5-14

Burgos to Astorga: 144 miles, 323 miles total

This past week was the third section of the Francés route, which goes through the Meseta — a region in Castilla y León characterized by large swaths of treeless flat land with hot sun and very little shade that can feel endless. It’s known for challenging your mind as you learn to find beauty in the monotony and it mostly lived up to its reputation. The landscape was flat and the road felt interminable. You just had to have faith that the next town would appear and it always did.

With little visually stimulating, the scenery offered the gift of focusing on being present. No music, no podcasts; nothing to make the time pass by more quickly because that defeats the purpose. This is the ultimate “it’s about the journey and not the destination,” as there’s often not much to do at the day’s stop other than shower, laundry, and have a drink. The walk became an exercise (hours and hours and hours of exercise) of noticing the anomalies within the mundane: a rustle of the wind, the music of chirping birds, the ingenuous way an inchworm moves, the subtle shades of blond found in wheat. It’s a gratitude practice - finding the joy and beauty in the every day.

I spent the week enjoying walking mostly by myself while working on staying present and quieting my mind. At night I met up with friends old and new at the Albergue. While many towns along the way are a shell of what they once were, we came across some gems, like Castrojeriz which has a striking castle on a hill and mouthwatering pizza, or Frómista with a Gregorian chant every night in the cathedral that’s known as a model of Roman architecture. Carrión de los Condes had a lovely art museum and park.

The star of the week was León, the capital city of the province, with a stunning cathedral (my niece’s reaction: who lives in that castle?!), Roman walls, a Gaudi structure, and lots of street life. I crossed paths with many from the Week 1 Camino family and it felt like nary a day had passed.

Confession time: I’m dragging. Currently fighting off a cold, my body is fatigued, my feet have blisters and my hands have sores from the poles. I’m puffy from lack of sleep and insufficient nutrients (and perhaps a little too much wine). My hygiene is slipping. This pack isn’t feeling any lighter. I’m tired of sleeping on paper sheets and praying that the blanket doesn’t have bedbugs while dealing with snorers.

Alright, that’s enough self-indulgent complaining.

Every day has brought something new and eye-opening and I know I’ll regret it if I give up now. So I forge ahead, awaiting happy surprises. Like someone creating a peregrino oasis (donativo) at the top of a tough hill or running into a friend I thought was at least 2 days ahead of me. It’s easy to take on the struggles while it’s fun; the challenge is finding the beauty when it’s not. Kind of like a metaphor for life. Funny that.