Walking the Meseta

When I was in high school, I was a distance runner, the two mile. This races requires you to circle the track 8 times. The hardest laps for me were laps 5 and 6, half way done, but still a ways from the finish. Today felt very like that as I walk the Meseta. The Meseta is a large flat plateau that stretches through the interior of Spain. It is agricultural (mostly grains, legumes, and vines that I have seen), some hills, but mostly flat and seems to stretch for miles. The horizons are beautiful, but repetitive. I still have several more days of the trek before I reach some costal mountains closer to Santiago. So part of today was drudgery as you plot along. Talking to people is helpful, but the repetitive nature wears on your legs. I am sore and still fighting some minor blisters. I can’t decide if the rain helps or is another challenge. Still, I walk on like so many other pilgrims. Today I started by walking through Terradillos de Los Templarios and saw a stork nest on top of the church bell tower. They say it is good luck for the community and so also build a platform and wire mesh for the birds to build the nest. Then I stopped at Rio Valderaduey which is the site of an old hermitage. Someone said it the halfway point of the walk, but I haven’t found that in the literature. At any rate I did celebrate with my Australian friends. Then on to the old city of Sahagun, with its ruins. Everywhere you visit you realize how much old the part of world is for human structures. Really remarkable. No churches today. Lots of reflection, a little rain, and an audio book on the history of the Christian church in Europe called Dominion. Have a Happy Mothers Day and Buen Camino!Whats this? Laundry or Knitted FlagsThe HermitageThe Entry to Sahagun and ruinsFinally a few muralsAnother poll question, Is there a resemblance?

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