Camino de Madrid

Day 1: Sunday, 18th September
Up at 04.30 and a drive down to Ourense for the 06.40 train to Madrid. Breakfast in the station, then away. The train came from Santiago so there were a fair number of pilgrims, but these were people who had just finished their caminos, not people about to start.
The journey was uneventful and we arrived on time. On the escalator to the metro I felt someone trying to open the button on my trouser pocket! She would have had a surprise! The contents were: some loo roll in a plastic bag, hand cleanser and my ventolin, I think I would have been lost without my ventolin.
I went straight to the church of San Juan Bautista and Santiago and got my 'credencial'. Mass was just starting and I was told that I could get a blessing after mass. Apparently this is the thing to do, as I'm superstitious rather than religious, I didn't want to tempt providence by not participating. It was actually very moving, especially as I was the only pilgrim. It could have been very embarrassing as I discovered that I needed a belt to keep my trousers up! I seem to have lost weight!

arrows outside the church of San Juan Bautista and Santiago

After mass I did the tourist bit and had a glass of wine in the Plaza Mayor then checked in to my hotel.

I had planned to visit the Prado but I saw a queue so I headed off for plaza Castilla, being a Sunday, initially there were lots of people and street entertainment, progress was slow, it took nearly 2 hours to do the 7-8 km to Plaza Castilla, and much of this was spent crossing roads and waiting for traffic lights. There was little traffic, I think this would have been much worse on a weekday. I was really glad to get there and tired out from my early start so it was  back to my hotel, picnic and bed 

Plaza Castilla

The first arrow

Day 2- Plaza Castilla to Colmemar Viejo +/-32kms
"the best laid plans' --
I put a lot of time and effort into planning this camino, covering every base, or so I thought. I looked at google maps of all the towns to make sure I knew how and where I went in and out, and I looked at most of the route in between and here I am - day 1/2 and I've walked 32kms in full sunshine:(
The day started well enough, I woke up early, had breakfast in a bar near my hotel and got the metro to Plaza Castilla, and started walking just after 8.

early morning traffic in Madrid

No problems, the route is well signed. The first part, to the cemetery at Fuencarral, is probably further than I anticipated as I had looked at streets and it took a detour through park land. I anticipated stopping for a coffee but, once I turned off  the Paseo de los Castellanos, about half an hour in, there was not a bar to be seen. I had contemplated going into one of the 2 large hospitals I passed but I doubted that I would find the cafeteria and I didn't look like a patient or a relative. What's more, with my large back pack security would probably have ejected me.
My walk was leisurely as I was only planning to  walk 20k, after a while I felt the need to stop but there was nowhere to sit. I passed a fig tree with loads of shade but no stones,  I'm not agile enough to sit on the floor, or anyway, not to get back up again. Then I came to a 'mojon' I managed to perch on that and have a 5 minute relax.

There were 2 places where I found the markings problematic: the first had had an arrow pointing straight ahead, then there was a cross roads, then the path went through a riding school,  private property on both sides, so no arrows, then there was another path off and no arrow. The sensible thing would have been to walk on a bit further but an old man appeared in a car so I asked for help. With hindsight it probably isn't a good idea to ask someone outside Madrid how to get to Santiago, but I did mention yellow arrows! He obviously had no idea what I was talking about but told me that I was walking in the wrong direction, so I tried the other route, no arrows either, then a farmer appeared on a tractor, this time I asked how to get to Tres Cantos and he pointed me back to the other route and within minutes I saw the arrows, I bet the old man did too!
There was a later occasion when I doubled back only to discover that I shouldn't. I was on a cycle path, following arrows when I saw arrows on a path below me, I thought the path would be nicer so I retraced my steps and took the path. It wasn't nicer, it was narrow and slippery, then I met a huge patch of brambles so I gave up and returned to the cycle track. I could see the path for a while and it was signed then it came to an abrupt halt, it just fell into the high speed train track, not good!
I didn't see a sign for going into Tres Cantos, I'm not sure if I missed it. The track was next to a motorway and there were exit signs for Tres Cantos south,  Tres Cantos centre and then north at which point the arrows took off into the countryside. I went in that way and found arrows leading me out but nothing leading me in. Once I was in I went straight to the town hall as I understood that they have a room for pilgrims, they do, but not until 10 p.m. and only till 6 a.m. this was at 1 p.m., there was no way I could hang around till then , so I went off for a beer and a think. I phoned a lady in the next town who rents rooms and I decided to continue to Colmenar. The walk should have been pretty, it was mostly along the bed of a dry stream but it was wasted on me. I was walking between 2 and 4. it was too hot and I was exhausted. I walked an extra 12 km but when I got there I got a room to rest in.
Day 3- Colmenar Viejo to Mataelpino 22k
The bar near where I was staying opened at 7 so I had breakfast and started walking. I was fairly close to the way out.

The profile I had for the day showed it to be flat but there were a hell of a lot of ups and downs. there were also lots of rocks and the path had been pretty well destroyed by mountain bikers. having said that it was a pleasant walk. The path is getting closer to the mountains, there was lots of 'jara' and finally I lost sight of Madrid. I went through Manzanares el Real, with it's impressive castle.

Although today was shorter it was quite long enough for me at the moment, it is far too hot to walk after 1 p.m. The albergue in Mataelpino is new and very nice. There was one other  person there but he wasn't a pilgrim. I think he said he was Moroccan, he was very young and I think I was a bit too friendly to start with and he got the wrong idea, it was the only occasion, on a camino, that I slept with a chair under the door handle!
Day 4; Mataelpino to Cercedilla +/- 16kms
For breakfast I had a chocolate drink and muesli bar in the albergue,  as I thought there wouldn't be a bar open, but I  passed one just down the road.
It was another lovely morning and the walk was beautiful. the rock is granite and some of it is pink, it shines beautifully in the morning sunshine.

The walk to Navacerrada is short and easy. I had a moments panic when I thought that the path I could see going up a hill was the path I had to take, but it wasn't. I walked slowly and wasted lots of time trying to take photos of rabbits, but they were too quick for me.
Navacerrada is a beautiful little town, I had a lovely long breakfast and then carried on. I completely lost the arrows after the church but I knew I was on the right road and I knew where I was going.
Eventually I re-joined the arrows. The path to Navacerrada was shorter than I had anticipated the path to Cercedilla was longer!
I wasted time in Cercedilla as I had booked into a youth hostel, the alternative being to hang round till 9 p.m. in order to sleep in the sports hall, I wasn't going to do that. The lady I spoke to on the phone was a bit bolshy, she told me that if I wanted to check in in the afternoon I would have to go half-board and that check in was after 5. I decided to push my luck and arrive earlier but as I arrived in Cercedilla at 12 I still had a lot of time to kill, eventually I bought a sandwich in the station and went and sat outside the hostel. I was there for a while, then it must have been shift change, a lot of ladies came out and one told me I could go in, this was at 3. I registered for half-board but I'm sure they wished that I hadn't as I was the only one.

Staying at the Youth Hostel put me nearly 3 km beyond Cercedilla  and already at 1300 metres so the climb tomorrow will be much shorter.
Day 5: Cercedilla to San Ildefonso, via la Puerta de Fuenfria 22k and 500 metres up.
I was given coffee and an enormous picnic because I wanted to leave before breakfast, so I ate a little of the picnic, notably the apple, it must have weighed a kilo, and drank the coffee and started.  I had a diagram map of where I was going and new that the easiest route is the Calzada Romana, Via XXIV. This is marked with green blobs on trees.

I got to the Calzada Romana easily as it is right by the hostel, but I decided to move up to the road for a while. According to some info I had, from Cercedilla station there is 4.356 km of asphalt then 2.320 km of rough terrain, though this probably depends a little on which route you take. I  started at about 2.5 km so it wasn't far up the road then I got to the rough terrain bit.
I started by following an arrow, there were green blobs around and I assumed that the camino would follow the Calzada Romana. then I got to a notice board which explained a little bit more about the routes. Phillip V (a Bourbon king) wanted to get to his palace, in San Ildefonso, quickly so he had a new, shorter route made, obviously shorter on a mountain means steeper, this route is called the Borbonica and is marked with white blobs.
I soon discovered that I was following white blobs, it wasn't too bad then but when I got to a big open area where several routes converged I had a good look. The Camino de Santiago follows the Via Borbonica which is rough, shorter and steeper, so from here I followed the green blobs, which was, mostly, a leisurely walk up through a forest.

A sign on the Via XXIV

The Calzada Romana cuts across the Via Borbonica

Very little of the roman road is visible, it is mostly just earth. It was much easier on the feet and when I got to the top I wasn't even out of breath.

The view from the top

Looking back down the Via Borbonica

On the way down I took the detour through Valsain to La Granja de San Ildefonso which really is worth a visit and, as a bonus today it was free for Brits to visit the royal palace.

Day 6- San Ildefonso to Zamarramala via Segovia +/- 15kms
It wasn't the best nights sleep, San Ildefonso has lots of churches and they all seem to strike twice every hour and all at slightly different times, then, when I got up, I discovered that I had lost my poles. When I arrived I had to wait for the hospitalera so I sat down, put down my poles and took off my boots. I must have left them outside as they are nowhere to be seen. Fortunately I don't need them today as the walk is very flat.

Th first sighting of Segovia

The coliseum

It was about 10k to get to the aqueduct, at first I was a bit surprised when I saw it, it was nowhere near as big as I expected but I hadn't realised how long it is, or how it grows on the way.

Segovia is impressive, filled with tourists of course, there's also lots of restaurants,  the specialty is roast suckling pig. I decided to give my credit card an airing and eat in Segovia if I could find a restaurant that opened early. I had seen a beautiful one earlier but I didn't want to retrace my steps. Fortunately I found a restaurant that would serve me at 12. I had a super lunch and then continued down to the Alcazar and off to Zamarramala.

I wanted to get to the albergue in time to wash and dry clothes. Part of my excuse for eating in Segovia was that the albergue only had a microwave but it has everything.

I'm tired from yesterday so this is a lazy afternoon, I'm only concerned to get something to eat for tomorrow because it will be a long day. I also have company tonight, a young Korean and a Spaniard.
Day 7: Zamarramala to Santa Maria de la Nieva 30km
A long day today and potentially no bars. The countryside is much of a muchness, harvested wheat fields or burnt sunflowers, but I did see a flock of sheep, a rare sight though sheep are an important factor here. I also saw the balloons over Segovia, all be it from a distance.

I got to Ane just as they opened the bar, apparently it has been closed for a while, in any case it only opens at the weekend, one advantage of walking at the weekend, but the only one. I got to Sta Maria too late for the shops and there will be none tomorrow. I forgot to be prepared for this weekend,  I was worried about the long day but forgot to worry about what would come next. Mostly I haven't had to worry about lunch as both Madrid  and Castilla and Leon have the custom of giving a 'pincho' or 'tapa' with a drink so by the time I've had my second beer I'm OK!

 I have emergency food supplies but I suspect I will need them tomorrow so tonight had to be a bar and a snack.