Not a desert, too much rainfall for that, yet hot in summer and cold in winter. Elevated but not a mountain. A plateau that allows the eyes to see great distances in all directions. A place where it is hard to hide from the sun. Quiet except for the wind. This is the Meseta. On the camino, we will only walk a portion of the Meseta. We will walk 136 miles on the way from Burgos to Leon. It’s not a hard walk if you stay hydrated and shielded from the never ending sun. We were spared the most difficult temperatures, even beginning the day once with a brief shower that gifted us a delightful rainbow. Temperatures remained cool in the morning and 70’s in the day. Even so the constant sun takes a toll. The pathway is wide and footing is stable. Not having to worry about trips and falls gives you time to contemplate or ponder personal issues, put to rest old disagreements, moving forward with a renewed spirit free from the old wounded self. When you prepare your mind and heart each day, gratitude and humility will walk with you sharing what this day offers. Everyone hikes not only this path but any path for reasons only they can decide. I have learned to not judge other’s Camino nor what they receive. For myself, if I don’t come away a better person, I will have missed a great opportunity.

Carolyn and I have been intentional in our spiritual approach for this Camino. First we began reading from several devotional books each morning to orient our thinking toward being aware and present to who and what this camino has in store for us each day. One of the books was “A Pilgrim’s Guide To The Camino de Santiago written by John Brierley. It is packed with the information needed to negotiate and get the most out of this amazing adventure. More than just practical information it contains historical information on every step along the way, The author also challenges you daily with spiritual questions to contemplate as you walk. First he describes the practical path. Divided into 33 segments of about 20 to 25 kilometers with a map for each day including comments, warnings, and other valuble advice. This is followed by a description of the mystical path. Here I quote the mystical thoughts from the book for this day.

” Will we walk today with a forgiving heart or hold on to old hurts that keep us feeling separated from our fellow pilgrims? Will you find the sacred symbol of healing used by knights and monks, ancient and modern? Will you place your hand in the niche that offered bread to passing strangers and leave a mark of love. Will you break bread with a stranger today? Will we compound the problem or become part of the solution?” At the end he inserts a quote from another book or author. Today’s entry was from ” A Course In Miracles” The holiest place on earth is where an ancient hatred has become a present love…

The path today covers about 12.5 miles with only a couple gradual climbs. On today’s walk and really through all of the Meseta we will pass through a series of small towns each day that have supported pilgrims for over a thousand years. At the time of the 12th and 13th century, there were 250,000 pilgrims a year making this journey. Today we will be passing through towns such as Rabe de las Calzadas, Hornillos, and Hontanas. Total population around 350.

Passing through Rabe de las Calzadas early in the morning there was nothing open to get breakfast so we took advantage of some of the cafe chairs and table outside, eating whatever food we had left in our packs. Leaving the small town we entered the peaceful country side filled with huge sunflower fields. Next was a short climb which might have been harder in the heat but this morning was barely in the 40’s. Both sides of the road opened up into long stretches of wheat fields which had been recently harvested leaving only the remaining short stalks. I say wheat but in fact depending on the quality of soil and rainfall it might be oats or barley.The Meseta’s top is fairly flat and almost completely used for this type of agriculture. It’s vastness is hard to describe or capture in a picture. After just a few hours you could spot Hornillos the next town still a distance away. Hornillos has a population of only 60. There are a couple of cafe’s and several places to stay. We did stop for a snack at a bar that had several nice guitars hanging on the wall. The next cafe here had a sign advertising live blues, jazz, and opera music tonight. I was curious and went in. they were setting up for the evenings performance. I would like to have experienced that but we were staying 5 miles further down the road. The next day I spoke with others who did spend the night and it was quite an amazing performance by two brothers one of which did sing some opera.

We had a couple more hours walking so quickly left climbing back up to the Meseta. We came upon a roadside memorial. These aren’t just on the Meseta in particular but all along the Way there are crosses and memorials to pilgrims who have died on their Camino. Some of them more elaborate than others but all give you pause to think about their life and prayers for the family. My own family members that had passed on were on my mind this day. I spent time thinking and praying for each of them placing a rock at various points of the Meseta in remembrance of their lives.

The towns are usually at lower elevation so at some point you can usually see the church steeple off in the distance as you approach. I truly enjoy spotting the town from a distance and seeing the road wind down off the meseta anticipating a refreshing drink at a cafe. We walked down to Hontanas, a couple of miles ahead with a new friend, David from England. Hontanas, another Medieval town of 70 people is quite a happening place for it’s size with many places to stay and eat. A medium sized church that also housed an art gallery with some pretty cool pieces that reflect camino themes.

Castrojeriz and Fromista lay ahead…