{"id":59555,"date":"2013-04-16T07:35:35","date_gmt":"2013-04-16T14:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/initial-thoughts-on-the-meseta\/"},"modified":"2013-04-28T18:41:58","modified_gmt":"2013-04-29T01:41:58","slug":"initial-thoughts-on-the-meseta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/initial-thoughts-on-the-meseta\/","title":{"rendered":"Initial Thoughts on the Meseta"},"content":{"rendered":"

Third Sunday of Easter
\n1<\/span>4 April 2013<\/p>\n

Hot. Dry. Sunny. This is the Meseta, a large arid plateau that makes up the middle third of the Camino through Spain.<\/p>\n

The Meseta is said to be the second trial of the Camino. In the first third, you are tried physically. In the bleak Mesta, you are tried mentally.<\/p>\n

It has not yet, however, lived up to its reputation for flatness.<\/p>\n

We had two trying climbs today, one after we left San Bol, the other near the end of the day.<\/p>\n

Eamon and I left San Bol early with the idea of getting the majority of our walking done before the heat of the day set in. I had also hoped to get to Castrojeriz in time for an 11am Mass. <\/p>\n

Pretty much a spectacular failure in both respects.<\/p>\n

Castrojeriz surrounds a tall hill, atop which sits the ruins of the Visigoth castle.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the steepness of the hill, and my collapse after climbing it, we didn\u00b4t make it to town until 11:30. It hardly would have mattered, as of the five churches we found in the town, we couldn\u00b4t find one that was actually open.<\/p>\n

We had lunch and continued on. <\/p>\n

The afternoon was rough. Water and sunscreen flowed. And that final hill was a killer, and after a 27 km day, we arrived in Itero de la Vega exhausted.<\/p>\n

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Third Sunday of Easter 14 April 2013 Hot. Dry. Sunny. This is the Meseta, a large arid plateau that makes up the middle third of the Camino through Spain. The Meseta is said to be the second trial of the Camino. In the first third, you are tried physically. In the bleak Mesta, you are tried mentally. It has not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-camino"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1aGBK-fuz","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":83935,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/one-year-ago-some-kind-of-desolation\/","url_meta":{"origin":59555,"position":0},"title":"One Year Ago: Some Kind of Desolation","author":"Thom","date":"14 April 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"(from my journal) Itero de la Vega Third Sunday of Easter Hot. Dry. Sunny. The Meseta \u2013 at least what we\u2019ve seen of it so far \u2013 has not, however, lived up to its reputation for \u201cflat\u201d. We had two trying climbs today, one before lunch, one after. We left\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Camino"","block_context":{"text":"Camino","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/camino\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Just after dawn at Arroyo San Bol","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/8859015641_6e68e8c149_b.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/8859015641_6e68e8c149_b.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/8859015641_6e68e8c149_b.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/8859015641_6e68e8c149_b.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":59064,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/holy-places\/","url_meta":{"origin":59555,"position":1},"title":"Holy Places","author":"Thom","date":"14 April 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"13 April 2013 Burgos Cathedral this morning. I really wish I could upload photos from this connection, as I probably took a hundred or more. We spent about two hours wandering through this \u2013 superlatives fail me \u2013 magnificent? glorious? fantastical? \u2013 Gothic marvel in stone. I was a little\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Camino"","block_context":{"text":"Camino","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/camino\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":83955,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/one-year-ago-halfway\/","url_meta":{"origin":59555,"position":2},"title":"One Year Ago: Halfway","author":"Thom","date":"17 April 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"(from my journal) Bercianos del Real Camino 17 April Francine is in flight! Meanwhile, today was another introspective Meseta day \u2013 bleak, virtually unchanging scenery pushing thoughts deep within with little distraction. Entered the Province of Le\u00f3n. Just before arriving in the town of Sahag\u00fan, at a little place called\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Camino"","block_context":{"text":"Camino","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/camino\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"On the Meseta","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/9033548213_7fef17d58e_b.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/9033548213_7fef17d58e_b.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/9033548213_7fef17d58e_b.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/9033548213_7fef17d58e_b.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":83957,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/one-year-ago-the-meseta-nears-its-end\/","url_meta":{"origin":59555,"position":3},"title":"One Year Ago: the Meseta Nears its End","author":"Thom","date":"18 April 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"(from my journal) Mansilla de las Mulas 18 April Another long Meseta trek. Breakfast in El Burgo Ranero. Met a cat outside the bar who begged for food. Power-walked after El Burgo Ranero \u2013 not sure why the energy. Met back up with Eamon at rest area about 5km before\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Camino"","block_context":{"text":"Camino","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/camino\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Meseta approaching El Burgo Ranero","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/9037579422_95eee4d991_b.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/9037579422_95eee4d991_b.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/9037579422_95eee4d991_b.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/9037579422_95eee4d991_b.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":83933,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/one-year-ago-from-majesty-to-tranquility\/","url_meta":{"origin":59555,"position":4},"title":"One Year Ago: From Majesty to Tranquility","author":"Thom","date":"13 April 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"(from my journal) Arroyo San Bol 13 April Burgos Cathedral this morning. We spent about two hours wandering around through this \u2013 superlatives fail me \u2013 magnificent? glorious? fantastical? \u2013 Gothic marvel. I was a little disturbed by the decision to turn most of it into a museum, seemingly to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Camino"","block_context":{"text":"Camino","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/camino\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Burgos Cathedral","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/8746831485_a685518df1_b.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/8746831485_a685518df1_b.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/8746831485_a685518df1_b.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/8746831485_a685518df1_b.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":59554,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/the-meseta-begins-to-leave-its-mark\/","url_meta":{"origin":59555,"position":5},"title":"The Meseta Begins to Leave its Mark","author":"Thom","date":"16 April 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"15 April 2013 Today Eamon and I walked a record-breaking 34 km. The walk to Fromista along the Canal de Castilla was very pleasant; it was not yet hot (we left at 7:30), and a cool breeze blew through the trees beside the canal. Lunch was in Fromista, where I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Camino"","block_context":{"text":"Camino","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/camino\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59555"}],"version-history":[{"count":241,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59555\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61971,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59555\/revisions\/61971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}