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LIVE from the Camino Meseta Sept 2017

NomadBoomer

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Frances ( 2017, 2018,Aug 2023) Vdlp (2018)
In León now after just walking the section from Burgos. I understand a lot of people skip all or part of this section. I am very glad that I did not.
The past week or two has been cool glorious weather for walking. Down to 3 when starting walking at 7- 7:30. The lack of shade has not been an issue.

The scenery is much more varied than the mythology. Maybe living in Australia helps you appreciate more subtle landscapes. I thought that the walks from Tardajos to Fromista was sublime, particularly in the crisp morning light. Fantastic villages such as Hontanas (don't miss the pilgrim mass here). Great albergues such as my favourite so far Santa Maria in Carrion.

Sure there are a few dull km along the highway but not that much, even the walk into León is very easy, extremely well signed and very safe. So don't be put off walking this section if you are walking out of the summer heat.

Not as busy on the way as before Burgos, maybe people skip and certainly the walkers spread out, mostly not sticking to the Brierley stages. I have not been booking most nights and I have had zero problems. Most albergues I have stayed in have had spare beds. However one albergue in El burgo Ranero was shut so the others in town were full by 2:30, and León tonight on a Saturday is crazy busy.

Like a lot of people I have been hit with tendonitis so I have slowed down and managing it with compression, ice, shorter distances and ibrofen. Please listen to the pharmacist as the dosage in Spain may be a lot higher than you are used to. One guy was killing his liver with 8 600mg tablets a day on an empty stomach.

I am just loving the way, I don't want it to end. September is a great time to walk despite the crowds. Walking slower will make it last longer :) I may become a camino addict.

Once again thanks for all of the great advice on here. It has really helped my walk.
Buen Camino.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
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Hi nomadbloomer, we met briefly in Najera. I totally love your post, we have been blessed with cool, sunny days haven't we. I'm also in Leon hope to see you in the coming days nx
Hi Nicola
Not totally sure but you may be the lovely lady I shared a midafternoon drink with and who talked about resetting her camino. That brief chat really resonated with me on possibly my hardest day on the Camino. In any case I hope to see you on the Way soon.
Cheers Paul
 
I walked the meseta from Burgos to Astorga from Sept 5th. It was very warm with temps in the 30s. I found alot of folks hired bikes to Leon. I didn't come across one completo albergue - well actually no, Carrion de los Condes was full up by 2.
The meseta is fun, I really enjoyed it but I get the sense that pilgrims just want to get to Leon asap.
 
Yes. The meseta is truly magical walking especially in good weather. I think it is a 'walkers' section. Just putting one foot forward at a time with a completely empty mind. Also where I had my 'Paul on the road to Damascus' moments.
Sad that so many want to skip this lovely section.
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
In León now after just walking the section from Burgos. I understand a lot of people skip all or part of this section. I am very glad that I did not.
The past week or two has been cool glorious weather for walking. Down to 3 when starting walking at 7- 7:30. The lack of shade has not been an issue.

The scenery is much more varied than the mythology. Maybe living in Australia helps you appreciate more subtle landscapes. I thought that the walks from Tardajos to Fromista was sublime, particularly in the crisp morning light. Fantastic villages such as Hontanas (don't miss the pilgrim mass here). Great albergues such as my favourite so far Santa Maria in Carrion.

Sure there are a few dull km along the highway but not that much, even the walk into León is very easy, extremely well signed and very safe. So don't be put off walking this section if you are walking out of the summer heat.

Not as busy on the way as before Burgos, maybe people skip and certainly the walkers spread out, mostly not sticking to the Brierley stages. I have not been booking most nights and I have had zero problems. Most albergues I have stayed in have had spare beds. However one albergue in El burgo Ranero was shut so the others in town were full by 2:30, and León tonight on a Saturday is crazy busy.

Like a lot of people I have been hit with tendonitis so I have slowed down and managing it with compression, ice, shorter distances and ibrofen. Please listen to the pharmacist as the dosage in Spain may be a lot higher than you are used to. One guy was killing his liver with 8 600mg tablets a day on an empty stomach.

I am just loving the way, I don't want it to end. September is a great time to walk despite the crowds. Walking slower will make it last longer :) I may become a camino addict.

Once again thanks for all of the great advice on here. It has really helped my walk.
Buen Camino.
Totally agree with you. I did my camino this year (may-june) and i loved the Meseta. Hontanas and Castrojeriz was awesome!
 
I am in Boadilla del Camino at the lovely En El Camino albergue. Have very much been enjoying the meseta. The Camino is busy and I have been lucky to find beds in some towns. Am booking ahead now. No blisters or any other problems, walking in my Chacos. Have met five pilgrims who had Emergency Room visits; one who fainted, one with bad respiratory illness, one with infected blisters, one with ankle injury and one who had a silicone earplug break in half and get stuck in her ear canal! The ER couldn't get it out either and sent her to a specialist, who dug it out. Cost her over £2000. I wonder if travel insurance would have covered that? Oh, another update; I saw the "dirty old man" again who likes to grope peregrinas in Castrojeriz and he did not approach me. So either he has been effectively reprimanded or I just don't *have it* anymore...
Castrojeriz is so beautiful and half of it is for sale, I'm just sayin'.
 
I am in Boadilla del Camino at the lovely En El Camino albergue. Have very much been enjoying the meseta. The Camino is busy and I have been lucky to find beds in some towns. Am booking ahead now. No blisters or any other problems, walking in my Chacos. Have met five pilgrims who had Emergency Room visits; one who fainted, one with bad respiratory illness, one with infected blisters, one with ankle injury and one who had a silicone earplug break in half and get stuck in her ear canal! The ER couldn't get it out either and sent her to a specialist, who dug it out. Cost her over £2000. I wonder if travel insurance would have covered that? Oh, another update; I saw the "dirty old man" again who likes to grope peregrinas in Castrojeriz and he did not approach me. So either he has been effectively reprimanded or I just don't *have it* anymore...
Castrojeriz is so beautiful and half of it is for sale, I'm just sayin'.
So great to hear that your health is fine!

And I'm SURE you still have it!

I love the meseta, and am glad you are enjoying it.

Buen Camino to all of you, and enjoy your time :)
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
I find it very hard to understand the appeal of the "cherry-picking" approach to walking the Caminos: walk this section then skip X and Y and go directly to Z. Having walking several of the Spanish caminos and a number of other long distance routes I find a lot of the fascination lies in discovering the contrasts of the constantly changing landscape. Even the seemingly endless eastern suburbs of Burgos have their own fascinations though it may take some searching to find them :) If I was pressed to give one single piece of advice to a prospective pilgrim it would be to choose a starting point within reach of Santiago in the time they personally have available and then walk ALL of it. No taxis. No buses. No trains. If they have the time and funds to start somewhere east of Burgos then so much the better.
 
While parts of the Meseta were like walking across Kansas, I'm very glad that I did it even in the heat of this past June. While I was "walking " with friends, we all understood that we walked at our own pace. The hours alone allowed me to reflect on whatever I needed to. Arriving at a bar in the next town or my Albergue for the night brought a reunion with my friends, both new and old, and a chance to share the joys and some pains of the day. I slept, sometimes fitfully, and arose ready for the day to come. Your Camino and the Meseta are what you want them to be. I'm here in Dallas, wishing I were back in SJPP, Puente la Reina, Carrion, Molinaseca or Santiago. Enjoy every step and Buen Camino!
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
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While I loved the physically challenging sections of the camino and the gorgeous views that go along with them, the meseta is where I found the most inspiration. It is where the mind has a chance to wander and you can ruminate on deep topics as well as the mundane in equal measure. :) Someone I met along the Frances in 2014 said that the camino has three sections: suffering, meditation and celebration.
 
Good day, my husband and I start this section on the 8th Oct. Walking hopefully to Astorga. We did the first part from SJ to Burgos in April and met SO many nice people, hoping this continues. Not bad for two 70 'years young' Scots.

Isabel and Stewart
We just finished the Meseta and are now in Leon - just awesome! Buen Camino to you both!
 
In León now after just walking the section from Burgos. I understand a lot of people skip all or part of this section. I am very glad that I did not.
The past week or two has been cool glorious weather for walking. Down to 3 when starting walking at 7- 7:30. The lack of shade has not been an issue.

The scenery is much more varied than the mythology. Maybe living in Australia helps you appreciate more subtle landscapes. I thought that the walks from Tardajos to Fromista was sublime, particularly in the crisp morning light. Fantastic villages such as Hontanas (don't miss the pilgrim mass here). Great albergues such as my favourite so far Santa Maria in Carrion.

Sure there are a few dull km along the highway but not that much, even the walk into León is very easy, extremely well signed and very safe. So don't be put off walking this section if you are walking out of the summer heat.

Not as busy on the way as before Burgos, maybe people skip and certainly the walkers spread out, mostly not sticking to the Brierley stages. I have not been booking most nights and I have had zero problems. Most albergues I have stayed in have had spare beds. However one albergue in El burgo Ranero was shut so the others in town were full by 2:30, and León tonight on a Saturday is crazy busy.

Like a lot of people I have been hit with tendonitis so I have slowed down and managing it with compression, ice, shorter distances and ibrofen. Please listen to the pharmacist as the dosage in Spain may be a lot higher than you are used to. One guy was killing his liver with 8 600mg tablets a day on an empty stomach.

I am just loving the way, I don't want it to end. September is a great time to walk despite the crowds. Walking slower will make it last longer :) I may become a camino addict.

Once again thanks for all of the great advice on here. It has really helped my walk.
Buen Camino.

So agree with everything you said I walked the meseta it was so beautiful in the morning and the donativo in El Burgo Rancro was great as for tendonitis once I stoped I realised how painful this is
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Transport luggage-passengers.
From airports to SJPP
Luggage from SJPP to Roncevalles
W
In León now after just walking the section from Burgos. I understand a lot of people skip all or part of this section. I am very glad that I did not.
The past week or two has been cool glorious weather for walking. Down to 3 when starting walking at 7- 7:30. The lack of shade has not been an issue.

The scenery is much more varied than the mythology. Maybe living in Australia helps you appreciate more subtle landscapes. I thought that the walks from Tardajos to Fromista was sublime, particularly in the crisp morning light. Fantastic villages such as Hontanas (don't miss the pilgrim mass here). Great albergues such as my favourite so far Santa Maria in Carrion.

Sure there are a few dull km along the highway but not that much, even the walk into León is very easy, extremely well signed and very safe. So don't be put off walking this section if you are walking out of the summer heat.

Not as busy on the way as before Burgos, maybe people skip and certainly the walkers spread out, mostly not sticking to the Brierley stages. I have not been booking most nights and I have had zero problems. Most albergues I have stayed in have had spare beds. However one albergue in El burgo Ranero was shut so the others in town were full by 2:30, and León tonight on a Saturday is crazy busy.

Like a lot of people I have been hit with tendonitis so I have slowed down and managing it with compression, ice, shorter distances and ibrofen. Please listen to the pharmacist as the dosage in Spain may be a lot higher than you are used to. One guy was killing his liver with 8 600mg tablets a day on an empty stomach.

I am just loving the way, I don't want it to end. September is a great time to walk despite the crowds. Walking slower will make it last longer :) I may become a camino addict.

Once again thanks for all of the great advice on here. It has really helped my walk.
Buen Camino.
We are in Leon today and agree with everything NomadBloomer said! We found the walk into Leon to be quite interesting and enjoyable. The route was well marked. I was quite leery of walking into the City after reading several reports but am very glad we did. Meanwhile Leon is a wonderful City with many interesting things to see and experience. The Pilgrim Mass at St. Isodoro at 7pm is not to be missed. I encourage all Pilgrims who have a little extra time to spend a day in Leon. Buen Camino!
 

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