La Meseta

The middle region of the Camino is known as La Meseta - primarily the state of Castila y Leon. You could think of this area as being the belly of Spain - the majority of the wheat and corn crops are grown here. It´s not the wealthiest of regions in Spain, but I´ve found the villages to be even more precious because of this.

Many people don´t enjoy this portion of the Camino. The land is flat. There is no shade, and a good portion of the paths ride alongside major highways. There are also very long stretches without towns, such as today´s 22 km stretch.

I don´t universally love the meseta. The mornings are really breathtaking. The sky is so big and the sunrise is incredible. You can walk quite long distances since there are no mountains, and this is good for people on a schedule. The latter portions of the day can be quite sadistic, I think. The ants have their wings now, and my scarf has been crucial, as it covers everything but my eyes to keep them off. What I really enjoy about the Meseta is the feeling of being in some sort of a timeless, placeless system. I move quite a bit everyday, but there is no discernible end or beginning to the walk at this point. I am in this thing and it tells me when to wake up, where to eat, where to walk, where to drink and where to sleep. I don´t have to, or care to, worry about much else.

Some of the big highlights have been tasting patcharan (sp), a local anise spirit, eating local rabbit in Castillo de los Hermanillos and having picnics in the fields. I wish I could get some more photos up - but these computers are quite slow. No slideshow this time.

Also, I´ve passed the halfway point of the Camino!

From camino de santiago part thre

From camino de santiago part thre

From camino de santiago part thre

From camino de santiago part thre

From camino de santiago part thre