Hontanas to Fromista: Entering the Meseta
The morning got off to a rough start. I slept poorly and managed to set off at 7:00, only to realize I'd left my walking sticks behind. Back I went. When the sun emerged and I reached for my hat, that too was missing. I assumed it was in my transported pack, but no luck there either. I have no idea what happened to that hat.
The albergue owner in Fromista told me there was nowhere in town to buy a replacement, but she did have a children's hat she sold me for five euros. It will have to do until tomorrow, where I hope to find a proper hat.
Today marked my entry into the Meseta, and I can already see this will be a difficult section to stay focused on. The Camino divides into three distinct landscapes and climates. The first section, from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Logroño, includes the Pyrenees—cooler weather that changes at a moment's notice, rocky terrain, endless ascents and descents, and forest trails. It's extremely challenging physically.
The second section, Burgos to Leon, is called the Meseta. Long, flat, and completely exposed. It gets very hot with no shade, challenging in an entirely different way. It's mental—the terrain never changes. There's endless open space that can be peaceful but can also become too quiet. You just keep putting one foot in front of the other for what feels like days on end.
The Meseta stretches 105 to 156 miles and takes 7 to 10 days to cross. I'm not sure why the discrepancy in mileage, but that's what Google says.
The third and final section is Galicia, from O'Cebreiro to Santiago. Overnight everything turns green again, with rolling hills. The weather changes once more—cooler, with a chance of rain most any day.
The difference in terrain today was dramatic. I walked almost the entire day on my own, with just a couple of brief periods talking to people. It was much-needed solitude, and I felt content and peaceful.
I'm still taking plenty of pictures but trying to post only the unique ones. I think you understand by now that everywhere you look it's green as can be, that there's a church in every village that's hundreds of years old, and that the path ahead seems endless.
Tomorrow is only 12 miles.
Buen Camino
