Onto the Meseta

Today, day eleven of our walk, our guidebook said we would leave the urban craziness behind and enter the "relative wilderness of the sublime Meseta."  We slept in as planned, not waking up until close to 7:00, ate a leisurely breakfast at the hostel, and left at 8:00 with plans to visit the cathedral.  Apparently a "leisurely" pilgrim's schedule is still too early for the "real world." The cathedral was still locked up tight, and we had miles to cover and legs ready to move.  We gave the cathedral a token wave, tightened the straps on our packs, and settled in to our walking pace.

Our exit from Burgos was much more pleasant than the entrance.  We walked through city parks and for just a short stretch along the highway, before separating onto a  trail of our own.  The weather was shockingly cold again - not more than 45 degrees as we left the city.  The skies alternated between bright blue with puffy white clouds, and grey and overcast - threatening rain.  And the wind...it blew sharp and cold all day long.  We bundled up with all of our layers and tried to decide whether or not we needed sunblock in addition to our winter wardrobe. 

After a couple of hours, we stopped for coffee and hot chocolate at the last town before our climb onto the meseta would begin.  It promised beautiful views, endless fields of wheat, barley, and oats, and absolutely no shade.  The wind was annoying, but the hovering clouds were our friends. We were happy for the peeks of sun we got to warm up and grateful that it wasn't beating down on us in that open expanse.  It was, once again, "The Way" I had envisioned - a peaceful, winding path through sunshine and scenic Spanish countryside. As we arrived at our destination, Hornillos del Camino, I felt completely satisfied.  It had been a day short on walking and long on scenic Spanish satisfaction.

The ancient pilgrim village proved overly ancient in its lack of services and connections.  There was not an Internet connection to be found.  We bought lunch food from the one small shop in town, where Nolan's cuteness scored us a free can of local olives (bonus for me!).  Our disconnected afternoon in an uncomfortably cool and windy oasis meant long, leisurely naps for most of us. We woke up in time to watch and play a few games in the plaza in front of the church before splurging on the "pilgrim menu" at the one and only local restaurant.  

It proved to be money well spent, as I enjoyed a couple of hours of wide-ranging conversation with the kids about everything from our adventure to friends and family to "The Walking Dead."  With nothing to run back to but a sleeping bag in a bunk room, everyone was happy to linger and chat - a rare (and welcome) occasion in our busy lives. Feeling grateful.