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Dear Pilgrim,

The Meseta may look like a kind of purgatory when you stand on its outskirts or count its kilometers on a map. Its reputation for being too simple, empty, and stark is like saying the ocean is too blue. But, yes, in comparison to the rise and fall of mountains from Navarra and La Rioja and twists and turns through dense forests from the early days of the Pyrenees, the Meseta may appear, at first glance, to roll persistently onward without beauty.

Don’t be fooled by the rumors. Simple does not mean dull and simple does not mean easy. Entering the Meseta is the time to recall why you came to walk the Camino in the first place. If you seek connection, here you will discover uninterrupted time and space to talk to strangers about the principles of life. If you came searching for silence, your only interruption is the flap of swallows’ wings rising and falling among the line of roadside trees. If you came to hear yourself think again, this is the place to sink into the stillness and see what comes from spending time in a place that encourages deep breaths.

Be mindful, however, of what can happen to your body on flat land. Consider the back of your ankles, for example. There are minimal changes in elevation, the same compact dirt, and fewer places to stop in the shade. Your shoes will rub up against the same spot for hours without mercy.

Flat land can also sneak up on your body and trick you into walking too quickly. Do not try to make up for lost time. No time has been lost. Rest, steady yourself, take shelter where you can find it. Just after Carrion de Los Condes, you will meet a stretch of road that garners dread from hikers. “Seventeen Kilometers of Nothing,” it’s often called. Consider what “nothing” is. Lack of shade, restaurants, bathrooms, water. For a standard walker, this will take anywhere from three to four hours to pass through. And yet, it’s easier to worry and talk about such a stretch than walk it if you’re prepared. Stock up on water, bring food for fuel, but most importantly, let your mind go where the empty road pushes it to go.