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The Meseta is definitely not beige. In May/June the Meseta is glorious with flowers especially poppies, cuckoos, and storks with their babies in their nests. The rivers are beautiful, with trees in leaf, its a beautiful time. You'll probably find cherries, and lots of beautiful scented flowering trees. The mountains will have purple heather and other more delicate flowers.Hello fellow pilgrims!
Having been back from the CF for barely three days, I’m already deep in still-abstract plans to resume our Camino next May to June. I wonder what your thoughts might be on the below ideas and questions…
We’ll have three weeks available but no more
We’ll walk from Belorado. We’ll probably need two rest days although I’d probably manage with just one.
I’ll need to prebook private rooms throughout again (health related)
The meseta… a great sheet of beige across my map of Spain…Hmmm…
How can León be in the meseta? A glorious city… slapped on a great sheet of beige? (I do apologise for my ignoranceI also do realise that I am not clearly picturing the actual meseta. My brain needs to install the correct update).
Maybe ending in Villafranca is a good option. It’d leave the big climb to O’Cebreiro for Day 1 of our final trip to Spain (2023?! Too long to wait!). Maybe this would feel like Day 1 out of SJPDP. Good to hit it with fresh legs. Really, I want to do it asap, though. Sounds too much fun to leave out.
Maybe spending 80% of our time in the meseta and then just having a hint of green at the end would feel unsatisfying in some way?
May to June… as good a time as any? Still verdant. Not too hot nor cold. Or is it not ideal for the meseta?
Flying from Manchester or Liverpool in the U.K. to Madrid seems sensible: an easy train to Burgos then bus to Belorado.
Returning from probably Villafranca, I’m thinking the best option is a bus to León then train back to Madrid. However, I don’t like the times of flights home from Madrid and keep looking for alternatives. All airports in northwest Spain don’t seem to fly to northwest U.K.. Given Covid, I prefer to avoid connections through other countries where possible. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
Clothing: for my Late August/early September CF I took two tiny pairs of shorts, two super light tops, a super light fleece and a travel dress for evenings (yes, it was remarked upon, but so versatile and… super light!). Disposable ponchos were on hand. Is this a bad plan for May/June in the sections I’m looking at?
Oooh that whole description makes me very happyThe Meseta is definitely not beige. In May/June the Meseta is glorious with flowers especially poppies, cuckoos, and storks with their babies in their nests. The rivers are beautiful, with trees in leaf, its a beautiful time. You'll probably find cherries, and lots of beautiful scented flowering trees. The mountains will have purple heather and other more delicate flowers.
Depending on the timing, you'll need layers. Mornings can be cold, but the days usually heat up. We walked late May, ending early June in Santiago. The days were in the low 20's (C) when we started, late 30's when we finished. Every morning I had on all my clothes, my mid morning I was just in a T-shirt.
Hi Lhollo,Hello fellow pilgrims!
Having been back from the CF for barely three days, I’m already deep in still-abstract plans to resume our Camino next May to June. I wonder what your thoughts might be on the below ideas and questions…
We’ll have three weeks available but no more
We’ll walk from Belorado. We’ll probably need two rest days although I’d probably manage with just one.
I’ll need to prebook private rooms throughout again (health related)
The meseta… a great sheet of beige across my map of Spain…Hmmm…
How can León be in the meseta? A glorious city… slapped on a great sheet of beige? (I do apologise for my ignoranceI also do realise that I am not clearly picturing the actual meseta. My brain needs to install the correct update).
Maybe ending in Villafranca is a good option. It’d leave the big climb to O’Cebreiro for Day 1 of our final trip to Spain (2023?! Too long to wait!). Maybe this would feel like Day 1 out of SJPDP. Good to hit it with fresh legs. Really, I want to do it asap, though. Sounds too much fun to leave out.
Maybe spending 80% of our time in the meseta and then just having a hint of green at the end would feel unsatisfying in some way?
May to June… as good a time as any? Still verdant. Not too hot nor cold. Or is it not ideal for the meseta?
Flying from Manchester or Liverpool in the U.K. to Madrid seems sensible: an easy train to Burgos then bus to Belorado.
Returning from probably Villafranca, I’m thinking the best option is a bus to León then train back to Madrid. However, I don’t like the times of flights home from Madrid and keep looking for alternatives. All airports in northwest Spain don’t seem to fly to northwest U.K.. Given Covid, I prefer to avoid connections through other countries where possible. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
Clothing: for my Late August/early September CF I took two tiny pairs of shorts, two super light tops, a super light fleece and a travel dress for evenings (yes, it was remarked upon, but so versatile and… super light!). Disposable ponchos were on hand. Is this a bad plan for May/June in the sections I’m looking at?
Oh gosh, I was thinking the opposite about SJPP! I loved the section out from SJPP and found it surprisingly fine, (quote of the day ‘It’s a bit like Wales!’, but we did walk in fog) but I did of course have fairly fresh legs. I was also geared up for the challenge of it. I’d be less keen to embark on it if I were in the shape I was in after Los Arcos > Logroño (long day, muscle strain) then Logroño to Nájera (Owwww). I think a tough day soon after those two would have been too much, although the shorter stage to Santo Domingo was ideal. I’m giving your perspective thought, though. And it’s helping me to understand myself, weirdly, too. Thank youHi Lhollo,
My strong advice is to finish on a "high". The walk up to O'Cebreiro is a long haul and best done when when you are walking fit - not quite a breeze but an enjoyable walk if you are fully fit. The thought of starting at the bottom of that hill on your next trip is as daunting as the off from SJPP. Starting stage 3 from the top will be a much easier task!
What are your thoughts on June for the meseta?As others have said the Meseta is glorious in the spring. The green wheat waves in the wind and the flowers are blooming. It is beautiful and in my opinion, a not to miss. In the spring I am usually there the first week of May and it has been cold, sometimes below freezing in the morning and warming to comfortable if the sun is out. You will definitely need a different wardrobe in the spring. Rain is more probable but not definite. I’ve walked years where we got some rain 75% of the days and another spring where I didn’t pull out my rain gear, but you should have more than a disposable poncho. It’s easier to walk in the cooler temperatures and a little possible rain is the price we pay for the beautiful spring landscape. I’ve walked in spring, summer and fall and spring is my favorite.
It’d leave the big climb to O’Cebreiro for Day 1 of our final trip to Spain (2023?! Too long to wait!). Maybe this would feel like Day 1 out of SJPDP. Good to hit it with fresh legs.
I agree with Joe. There is a big difference in the comparison.My strong advice is to finish on a "high". The walk up to O'Cebreiro is a long haul and best done when when you are walking fit - not quite a breeze but an enjoyable walk if you are fully fit. The thought of starting at the bottom of that hill on your next trip is as daunting as the off from SJPP. Starting stage 3 from the top will be a much easier task!
Thanks for your response. I see your logic that the hard part being late in the day is not ideal and makes matters more difficult.Day 1 from SJPP takes you up the hard part at the beginning of the day. (And furthermore you knew you were only going 8 km that day.)
No, I was assuming you stopped in Orisson, and have edited my post to remove that! SJPP to Roncesvalles is about 27 km.Did you mean to say that SJPP to Roncesvalles is 8 km?
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