Cathedral to cathedral

The 114-mile stretch from Fromista to León crosses the Meseta, a flat, unshaded agricultural corridor. It’s boring—endless fields, forgotten towns, nothing to look at. Many pilgrims skip it to avoid the monotony. I came to Europe to hike, so I walked every step.

The Meseta was tough. No shade, just sun and dust. Towns blended together, each one duller than the last. I pushed through, driven by stubbornness. Seven miles before León, I stopped in Puente Villarente and checked into a hostel. I grabbed my towel and walked back to the Río Porma for a dip. The water was freezing but refreshing after a hot day.

While drying off, a group of pilgrims in their 30s showed up: Thomas, an engineer from Washington; Maria from Hamburg; Jonathan from Copenhagen; Basel from France; Andy, an engineer from Pennsylvania; and Santiago, a web developer from Spain. We talked for an hour, and they invited me to join them for the walk to León.

The next morning, we reached León and checked into a parroquial hostel run by nuns. We spent the afternoon wandering, hitting shops and grabbing wine at bars. We planned to eat at a Caribbean restaurant, but it was closed. We ended up at Taco Bell, eating tacos and swapping trail stories.