Day 15, Friday, September 6th, 2019: Into The Meseta; Tardajos to Hontanas
We had a nice cup of coffee and some toast and fruit and were off into The Meseta, a vast plain with very few towns or inhabitants and little to no shade.
The first town we encountered as the sun rose was Rabé de las Calzadas. At the top of the church, there were two storks preening themselves. They are magnificent birds! As we were leaving the town and passing a beautiful mural of Dr. Einstein, Ghandi, and Dr. Martin Luther King, we met two new friends, Anna and Joe, from Nova Scotia, and we spent a companionable time as we entered the Meseta in the cool morning air of sunrise.
Joe said he was looking for the “thin places” where you could almost reach through to heaven. The Meseta proved to be one of those places. So unlike anyplace I have ever seen. Anna was hoping her mending broken foot was ready for the challenge. They were going to San Bol, a small place with a rich heritage of peace, love, and care, garnered in the 60’s and 70’s when hippies would come and stay and the longest ones there ran the place by default.
We stopped for a sandwich and some water in Hornillos de Camino and said Buen Camino to our new friends. We continued to the town of Hontanas and the Albergue Juan de Yepes. Andre, a Cuban ex-pat with a wry smile and a somewhat thuggish demeanor, welcomed us and showed us to our room. After shower, laundry, and a nap, we decided to visit the church of the Immaculate Conception. So many beautiful churches in this country, even in the smallest of towns.
We came back for mass at 6, which was also wonderful, and then we went back to the Albergue for the Pilgrim Dinner. We were treated to a nice salad and then a huge pan of paella! It was sooooo good!
We met Ken from Southern California and chatted with him for quite a while. He is a retired city manager who was greatly enjoying his Camino at a relaxed pace.
Slept well this night, despite the noise which echoed throughout the Albergue as we were bedding down for the night.
Today’s “Camino Lesson:” slow down. You move to fast.
Many parts of our lives could be so richer and more meaningful if we just took the time to enjoy them. Screens, and our addiction to them, have stolen our ability to truly connect and enjoy special times in our lives. Who cares what someone posted 15 minutes after you checked the last time?!?! It will, unfortunately, still be there after the dinner with your family or your new friends.
Buen Camino!
Doesn’t she have a great smile?!?
An amazing mural on the side of a building in the middle of nowhere
New friends Anna and Joe!
Lighting a candle for our son, James, who will soon deploy to Afghanistan. Go with God, son.
