
There is not a single part of the Camino Frances that deserves to be skipped, and yet when someone asks in the Camino Forums what part should I skip, the most common answer is “Skip the Meseta, you won’t miss much”. The Meseta is the land from Burgos to Leon which is about 162 K (105 miles). It represents about 20% of the Camino and I believe often gets a bad rap. If you follow the Brierley guidebook and walk it in 8 days, if turns out to be 20 K per day on average. Not only that, but it is also relatively flat, which is a nice change of pace from the walk to Burgos. The Meseta is the stretch where the Pilgrim can get their act together to get ready for the last 13 days of the Camino. It consists of a lot of arid land and agricultural land as well. It definitely has its’ own unique beauty, but more importantly it is home to many Spaniards and others as well.
The first stop out of Burgos is Hornillos del Camino, which is a small agricultural town. It is a long narrow town with several Albergues and places to eat. At the West end of town there is a Bar that is owned by a young man from Africa, who immigrated to Spain. He is quite a promoter and as you entered the town, he had lots of flyers advertising a karaoke night. One of my young female companions who was like a daughter to me, talked me into going. I was not into crowds and there definitely was a crowd, so I left quite early and went back to my Albergue for some peace and solitude. When I got back to the Albergue, I was lying on my lower bunk bed just relaxing and reading. A woman came who had arrived late afternoon, and we started having a conversation. I learned she was from Holland, and she was a quite fit attractive 55-year-old who was doing 30 K days. Sometime during our conversation, she asked me if I had anyone back home. I answered in the affirmative mentioning my kids and grandkids. She looked at me directly and said, “I mean do you have ANY ONE back home?” It caught me off guard for a moment and I responded with a “yes, I do have a sweetheart back home”. I realized in that moment that she was interested in me for some reason. I asked her how old she thought I was, and she said she thought I was in my mid 50s just like her. I told her that I was 73, and she would not believe me. I had to show her my driver’s license. We laughed and I was quite flattered at her interest in me. Honestly it made my day. The next morning, she left just before I did, and I did not see her again. I will long remember the moment I realized her interest.
The next morning, I found out from my Camino daughter, that the owner of the karaoke bar asked her to marry him and even had a ring. He was so smitten with her but of course my Camino daughter was not looking for something like that. He did stay in touch with her and met us in Bercianos where we played some board games and learned about his unique journey to Hornillos. He seemed like a decent fellow with bad timing. I tell these stories because they happened on the first day on the Meseta. The small unique towns and villages were friendly and appreciative of the Pilgrims. It was one of the most interesting parts of the Camino and the people were especially welcoming. We experienced the singing Sisters in Carrion de Los Condes, and every day we would walk toward the distant horizon with the sun rising at our backs. I cannot remember ever being bored with the changing scenery along the way. I noticed that the cover photo on the late John Brierley’s guidebook is from the Meseta, and so he too thought it was an important part of the Camino. By the time we entered the Meseta my Camino family was coalescing and we were splitting up and some were taking alternate routes, but always coming back together the same day or the next. Some of my group happened to run into John Brierley in Reliegos and found had experienced a respite from his battle with cancer. He was back on the Camino he loved and doing updates in his guidebook. They had a wonderful conversation with him and were blessed by the experience.
I know there are a lot of people who do not have the time to take 30-35 days to do the entire Camino Frances. I will say there is something about that time frame that allows for a deeper and more complete experience, especially with the personal connections that we make on this journey. I would encourage those who do not have the time to consider doing the section between Burgos and Leon. It is 12 days to Burgos, 8 days to Leon, and 13 days to Santiago. Three nice sections to do a complete Camino.
Buen Camino,
Stephen Towles
Caminocoach.net



