... nothing to see

[Robert Ward]

Carlos: I'm with you all the way. There may not be much to see in the pueblos of the meseta, in the normal Michelin Guide sense, but they are places where generation upon generation has lived a way of life that is today dying a swift and quiet death as the young people head for the cities. Some of these villages will be ghost towns in a few more years, or populated only by soft-drink sellers in the summer.
And in between the villages are those incredible lonely spaces where the revelation may not be what you see, but what you feel. I remember those places better than I remember the cathedrals of Leon or Burgos, because I remember them in my bones. For that matter, there was nothing I saw on the Camino that was more magnificent than the November skies over the meseta.
There is also no rule to where a wonderful encounter with another pilgrim will take place. In fact, it's less likely to happen in Pamplona or Santiago, where people have so many other distractions.
The Camino is not a highlight reel, and I think that if we approach it as something to "see," with parts that can be "skipped," we risk missing the whole point.


> From: Carlos Mentley <mentleyaERSKINE.EDU>
> Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 08:20:18 -0400
> To: GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU
> Subject: ... nothing to see
>
> Please excuse my unilateral entry here, but I could not disagree more
> with you, Marcia!  In the smallest of pueblos there is always something
> to see; but what you see does depend on what you expect to see and what
> you are open to seeing.  Beyond that, there are always people--pilgrims
> and especially those who live in the towns--with whom to talk.  The
> stories that the older residents of the small towns can tell are almost
> always fascinating in their contrast to what we norteamericanos regard
> as the "normal" way of the world.  It is also my experience that we can
> learn a lot about ourselves by listening to their impressions of us.
> Thank you for the chance to air my point of view!  --Carlos
>
>
> Marcia Whitney-Schenck wrote:
>
> > Just a little note . . . at least among many of the villages in the
> > meseta, there is nothing to see. There were several nights where I
> > stayed in places that had one alberque and one place to eat. That's
> > it. Often, even the churches were locked. Of course, you can always
> > talk to the other pilgrims or read. Have a great time. Blessings,
> > Marcia
>
>
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