My return to Burgos and to the Meseta

Well hello there..how are you all? I hope you are enjoying the sunny weather of what’s left of this weekend. The good news is that it is here to stay for the next while so it is a great chance to get outdoors. I have been dipping my toes (so to speak) with long-er walks as I prepare for my return to the Camino Francés at the end of August. With Spain opening up again and more pilgrims returning to walk these great roads, I would love to hear from others who are in my position. Tell me where you are walking, and when are you arriving? I return to Burgos and the meseta, a place I really love, for many reasons and I won’t be alone.

I was grateful to receive my second vaccination last Saturday (19th June). While it did knock me out for a few hours, I had a constant smile on my face afterward. At the very same time, pilgrims from all over the world were walking the sacred steps to Santiago de Compostela. 774 pilgrims were awarded their Compostela on that very day. It seems crazy that just a few months ago, barely a hundred pilgrims reached Santiago. Yesterday, more than 900 pilgrims arrived into Santiago. There is a great cause for hope but it is also important to stay safe and vigilant.

My plan is to arrive in Burgos on the 30th of August and walk for 10 days. Who knows where my final day will be and what town I will arrive in when I “finish” this Camino but my flight home is the 9th of September. I wish I had longer but alas! The walk from Burgos to Carrion de los Cóndes is very special. I have walked it in 2013, 2015, and 2017 – each year with different wonderful people, learning different lessons.

My return to Burgos and the Meseta is four years in the making having walked the Camino Inglés and the Camino Portugués from Lisbon. You will find many pilgrims who will use the Meseta as a reason to catch up if they are falling behind. I have talked to folks before who say they don’t find it interesting at all. I often find the stages from Burgos to León the most interesting and have provided me with the most enduring memories.

The landscape may not be the most captivating – with wheat field after wheat field lasting as far as the eye can see. While it may not be physically demanding, it lets your mind wander. Questions that may need answering or attending to can be challenged. If you meet a pilgrim during one of your days, a problem can be shared or halved.

I have been preparing for 15 months mentally. I just need to get used to longer distances again until the end of August. I can’t wait to see Burgos again.

Buen Camino!