From Burgos to León, and a few days further, the Camino Francés crosses a relatively flat region of Spain called the “Meseta” or plateau in English. This region is at around 3000 ft. (900 m) in elevation and the landscape is flatter than the beginning and the end of the Camino. There are rolling hills in parts, but no significant climbs or descents. We continued to walk along many fields of grain and legume as before, and are now also seeing sunflower and corn fields. Here ,at the end of May and beginning of June, some of the grain fields are starting their change from green to brown. The sunflower and corn are just getting their start.
The towns are mostly small, having their origins from the heyday of the Camino hundreds of years ago. There are Albergues in most towns and at least one bar/restaurant in every town.
We walked 111 miles in 11 days without a rest day, but now we are taking two rest days in León. Our bodies are accustomed to walking 10 or more miles a day with a pack, but we are still tired at the end of the walk each day. After checking into our accommodations, we shower, wash clothes and rest. During some of the longer, hotter days we developed some minor foot issues, but we are managing just fine.
Most eating establishments close their kitchens at 3:30 pm and don’t resume at dinner until 7:30 or 8:00 pm. Before dinner, the locals socialize over drinks and tapas (small snacks). It’s just the Spanish culture, which is fine. For tired pilgrims that have walked a lot each day, we mostly just want to eat early and go to bed early. Sometimes we eat a late lunch before the kitchens close then snack for dinner. Sometimes we find something open for dinner at earlier times. We find lots of other pilgrims at places that open earlier for dinner.
Our memories of these 11 days walking across the Meseta seem to blend together into one long time period. Fortunately, we have kept notes to remind us of notable things and events along the way. So here is some short commentary with a few pictures from each day.
Day 23 Burgos to Rabé de las Calzadas
a little warm, but nice 8.3 mile walk.
Day 24 Rabé de las Calzadas to Hontanas
11.5 miles through rolling hills and wheat fields. When we stopped for breakfast, we sat next to a lovely Dutch couple. He is fan of classic rock, and Bernie Sanders. As many European people want to, we talked some Trump politics. It seems Trump is not well regarded in Europe. The end of the walk seemed so long as we couldn’t see the town until we crested the hill and descended right into it. It was a nice town. As we waited for dinner, we sat in the church for awhile, where they had set up a nice little meditation area for pilgrims.
Day 25 Hontanas to Castojeriz
It was a blessedly short day, only 6 miles. We walked through the ruins of an old Hospital that treated people for a disease caused by a fungus on the grain. Our small pension (a converted home) had a very capable blind host. We found a quaint little restaurant and had a great burger at Las Tabernas.
Day 26 Castojeriz to Boadilla del Camino
Today’s journey of 12 miles, started with a climb to the top of a hill first thing in the morning. We left our town without finding a place open for breakfast, but luckily came up on a foot truck where we got a ham and cheese pastry and fresh squeezed orange juice (zumo de naranja natural). Later, we had a delicious quiche at Itero de la Vega. The place even had it’s own hot sauce. It was very hot by afternoon (high 80’s). We rested in a rare grove of trees at top of last climb. We were super happy to reach out destination, have a Kaz Limon on ice and then a shower.
Day 27 Boadilla del Camino to Carrión de los Condes
This was our longest day yet on the Camino, at 15+ miles. We left at 7:30 am, and arrived about 2:30 pm. We took an alternate route along river, which was less traveled, and more shaded.
We stumbled upon a herd of sheep and their shepherd as the sheep were eating and drinking by the river. It was a long hot walk into Carrión de Los Condes in the early afternoon. Susie started developing a blister on her heel.
Day 28 Carrión de los Condes to Calzadilla de la Cueza
Another 10.6 miles in the heat. The last part was warm and long. Our albergue had water issues, so sometimes we had water and sometimes not. We had a shared room and shared bathroom here. Fortunately, our room had just three beds so it was the two of us, plus one other woman. She was quite nice, Swedish by birth but had lived in New York for 40 years. We had a good dinner of lemon chicken and baked potato with a curry type sauce. The albergue owner is from the Canary Islands and this was her secret recipe.
Before dinner, there was an apparently drunk and unruly pilgrim hanging around who didn’t have a reservation. The owner asked him to leave the dining area and he got kind of belligerent. He eventually left. That was the first impolite pilgrim we had seen. After dinner, we talked with our new Swedish friend and exchanged some foot care products. She left quietly at 5:30 am. to beat the heat, as she was walking further than us.
Day 29 Calzadilla de la Cueza to Moratinos.
At around 8 miles, this was a shorter day, but still very warm. In the morning, we were inexplicably swarmed with flies. They buzzed around us and just about drove us crazy! Then, after about an hour or so, they drifted away.
We haven’t had a room with A/C yet, so sleeping has been uncomfortable, but tonight’s place provided a fan. We spoke with a woman who is a lawyer for Coca Cola in NZ or Australia. This was her 18th straight day of walking. She was finishing in Sahagún that day, then taking the train to Madrid, flying home, and going to work the next day. Ugh. We have met quite a few pilgrims doing the Camino in sections like this, taking what time off from work when they could. It’s been a gift that we can all the time we want so we can enjoy this experience (except for the flies). Dave played someone’s guitar outside in the morning, with other pilgrims taking photos of him. A Camino memory for them.
Day 30 Moratinos to Sahagún
Today was also a short day, only 6.5 miles, somewhat cooler weather. We walked through a monument celebrating our half way status, even though our phone apps show we are 52% done. We saw a couple that were carrying their thermos water bottles in their hands, as they didn’t appear to fit on their packs. 500 miles is a long way to carry a water bottle… Now that it’s cooler, of course we had air conditioning in our room.
Day 31 Sahagún to El Burgo Ranero.
Today’s 11.2 mile walk was mostly adjacent to a road, but mercifully there were trees planted along the way that provided some shade. We took a taxi back to Sahagún to spend the night as accommodations were full in El Burgo Ranero.
Day 32 El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas
We had breakfast in our Albergue in Sahagún, and then took a taxi back to El Burgo Ranero to continue our walk. We walked almost 12 miles, but with the cooler weather and flat terrain, the walk went by fast.
We passed through the small town of Reliegos. It’s claim to fame is a meteorite that landed in town in 1947, directly on the Camino. Hence the mural below depicting everything the artist could think of to represent their town. Had we not read the placard about the meteor, the mural might have been confusing. The mural is painted on the back wall of a handball court. We continue to find these courts scattered among the villages and towns.
Day 33 Mansilla de las Mulas to León
Mansilla de las Mulas was a trading town back in the day. The predominant trade was mules, hence the name of the town (Mula = mule) Our hostal was nice, though our room was Pepto Bismol pink. Fortunately they spared the ceiling, which was white.
We found a place open around 6 pm where all the clientele was pilgrims. They served a good hamburger, fries and a mixed salad. Note that every salad is topped with tuna and comes with plenty of olives.
We met a woman at the hostel who had just walked 19 miles that day on an alternate route to the town. That route was away from the road, but without shade, with few services and was longer than the main route. She was unhappy with the tour company that was booking her places and moving her luggage.
It seems many people are trying to do the whole thing in a limited amount of time, which results in very long days. We are glad we have the time and means to do this walk at a more leisurely pace.
We walked 12 miles to get to our studio apartment in Leon. It was not an especially scenic day, as the area became more a more populated and busy. It’s always a bit jarring to enter a big city after so long in nature and relative silence.
We will spend three nights, two days in Leon to rest and explore the city, then we continue onward towards Santiago de Compostela. Roughly 300 miles behind us and 200 miles to go!
Leave a Reply