CAMINO FRANCES REVISITED: Reliegos

6/1/19
On to the Town of Reliegos via Bercianos del Real Camino. Named this because there was some disagreement as to where the Camino went here, so there is a split between two towns, apparently this is the REAL Camino.
I really felt the walk today, it was about 20 miles and hot hot hot, we are seeing 100 F (37c) temps on the road by 10am and the streets themselves are hotter. This is getting near the end of the Meseta, or high desert, and after two days the terrain changes again.
The end of tomorrow is the end of the Meseta, and the end of THE DEATH.
last walk I met a Spanish man who was a student to the Camino, this one in particular.
He taught me the Camino was broken into three distinct spiritual parts, the rejoice, the death, and the rebirth.
I had to ponder this but it makes sense, the rejoice is the beginning third up to Burgos, everyone is fresh and excited to walk, the terrain is challenging but hills, mountains, and greenery, not to mention the rivers. From Burgos to León is the Death, the high desert , or Campos, where it is barren, hot and dry. This is the area that saps your soul and tests your body. If your going to quit, this is most likely the place to push you into leaving.
The rebirth is again a different terrain, cooler days, more rolling hills and pretty scenery, plus you can smell the end, a feeling of accomplishment washes over you as you close in on Santiago, and you get this feeling of euphoria. This is when most pilgrims get that awakening of sorts, a realization that some burdens are not worth carrying, or,,,,or,,,,whatever you came here for. For me it was a deep sense of gratitude last time, for many things ,and I learned so much about me, even though I wasn’t looking..
Some may not gain any insight, I don’t know, I just believe this is a special journey, and like life, you get out of it what you put in.
Tomorrow we leave for León and a day off