September 2025

The Meseta, Spanish for “Tablelands” was welcomed by some pilgrims and bypassed by others. The Meseta was a long, flat, and monotonous 133 mile section of the Camino. The scenery was not exciting either. I saw only wheat, barley, and shepherd’s fields.
Yet, I loved the walk. I had little fear of the elevation changes that would trip me or the many places where I would easily stumble over rocks on the trail like the hills and mountains typically had. The Meseta gave me a relatively safe, level to undulating trail, most of the time. Walking the Meseta was a time for me to keep my head in the heavens in prayer without worrying so much about foot placement around stones for miles and miles.
One particularly delightful stay along the Meseta was at Carrion de los Condes where the “singing nuns” ran their Albergue. These ladies exuded their core of peace and love in the way they welcomed everyone. Soon, the good sisters had every pilgrim smiling, singing, and feeling united as a pilgrim family. What a joy-filled boost this was!

After passing the city of Pamplona, Burgos is a jaw dropper for it’s beauty and history. I entered the city through the Arch of San Juan, the same arch Chistopher Columbus passed through as crowds cheered him upon his return after discovering the New World. It gave me goosebumps.

Many people begin the Camino de Santiago with a question in their heart or a shift in their life. For some, it’s the loss of a loved one. For others, an unexpected retirement or a sudden change that leaves them searching for meaning. What feels like a sunset, an ending, often becomes the very thing that leads to a sunrise.