Log in
Register
UI.X
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
UI.X
Forums
New posts
Search forums
Tag Topics
Online Guide
Camino Francés
Camino Portugués
Camino del Norte
Via de la Plata
Camino Primitivo
Camino de Invierno
Camino to Finisterre and Muxía
Camino Ingles
Camino de San Salvador
San Olav
Caminho Nascente
Caminho da Geira e dos Arreiros
Camino Olvidado
Camino Aragonés
Camino de Levante
Via Podiensis (Le Puy Route)
Camino de Madrid
Services by Casa Ivar in Santiago
Luggage Storage Services in Santiago de Compostela
Camino Forum Store
Official Camino Passport (Credential)
Altus Poncho
Forum Rules
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Resources
Latest reviews
Search resources
Members
Current visitors
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
Menu
Install the app
Install
⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app.
More on this here
.
Search 69,459 Camino Questions
Search
Advanced search…
Forums
Camino Routes
🇪🇸 Routes in Spain
🇪🇸 Camino de MADRID (Madrid - Sahagún)
My Camino de Madrid - Sahagún. June-July 2016.
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
[QUOTE="Bad Pilgrim, post: 432214, member: 50859"] [B]STAGE SIX: ALCAZARÉN – PUENTE DUERO. 30 of June. 25 KMS[/B] You know you’ve had too much sun when opening the door in the morning and, the sun hitting your face, you feel like you want to throw up. This must be what it feels to be a vampire. I shut the door with a gasp and immediately hid in the shadows of the kitchen. I ate a bit of breakfast and tried to prepare myself mentally to step out over the threshold. I thought I’d make it at least to Puente Duero, where I had heard about a luxurious albergue that I wanted to explore. There are 14 kms to Valdestillas. It is mainly a walk in the woods, flat, with pine trees that look different from the day before and other trees and bushes thrown in as well. It should have been easy walking, but I threaded slowly in order not to get any worse. You know, once you’re up and running you feel a bit better, like forgetting that you’re ill… So I started to feel comfortable. Already 5 kms from Alcazarén is the midway point between Madrid and Sahagún. This is marked by a statue of a pilgrim, but no matter how much I looked for it I never saw it. Now I have seen pictures of it so I know it’s there. I just don’t know how I could have missed it. Must have been too dizzy. When you get to the road VA-404, about 8 kms before Valdestillas, you should turn left, cross the Eresma river and then turn right. Arrows are there so no problem. It’s just that the guidebook of the Asociación has an alternative: not to turn left, but continue straight on. If I’m not mistaken the pilgrim from the Asociación told me that this alternative is no good: it’s equal in lenght but not as transitable. I think he said it was through a pine forest or something. This route never enters Valdestillas so you have to backtrack if you want to visit. Actually, from yesterday’s stage and during the rest of the journey there would be several alternatives, sometimes more than two, emerging from certain points on the map. I chose the way over the Eresma river which is also the only one that Max Long mentions. About 5 kms before Valdestillas there’s a rest area close to an ermita so I stayed for a while and ate something. In Valdestillas I had the impression of having been there before: it looked like a replica of the town of Tiñosillos on the stage Gotarrendura – Arévalo on the Camino del Sureste. The same aspect of the buildings, the main road running through with the houses and shops lined up on both sides. Oh, the horrible calvary, eternal question for pilgrims since ancient times: Which bar shall I choose…? Yes, only a Camino can teach you the true meaning of mental suffering. I finally settled for one where I had a nice breakfast, followed by tortilla de patata and ice cream, nom nom. I thought I felt ok and that I would soon reach Puente Duero, another 9 kms. Well, the Camino goes by the side of a road with heavy traffic all the way into Puento Duero. It was hotter than the day before and mid-day approached quickly. To sum up I felt really ill again when I entered Puente Duero. I just wanted to crawl into the shadows and sleep for the rest of the day. I knew I had a heat stroke. I entered the first bar I saw and tried to calm down. Max Long’s guidebook assured me that salvation was near. The albergue is located before crossing the bridge that leads into the center, and I was already in a bar close to that point. I even phoned the albergue before leaving the bar, just to be sure it was open. I had no time to do any additional walking that day. After a few hundred meters I was there. With all year round hospitaleros, 7 beds, beautiful wooden house with garden. It was really pretty. The pilgrim from the Asociación was already there and showed me great concern when I arrived as he knew I was ill from the day before. It felt nice to see a somewhat familiar face. There was also a hospitalera, soon-to-be-pilgrim since it was her last day in the albergue, and the new hospitalero waiting to take over. The hospitalera was going to do the Salvador and the Primitivo just like me. Interesting. But I was sure my illness would prevent me from keeping up with her during the next days so I couldn’t plan on joining her. I did my Camino chores as fast as I could and excused myself to my new friends, saying I had to sleep for the rest of the day in order to to cure. I did what I had learned from last time I had a heat stroke: draw the curtains and stay in the dark, drink water, and rest. Still I had to run some errands later in the evening but I almost wasn’t capable. During night I had a fever that made me sweat heavily and my skin continued to burn even in the dark. That evening, in my dizziness, I overheard a heated discussion between two persons who I identified as one of my new friends and a representative from the Asociación (though not the pilgrim I was talking about). Because this representative also visited us that evening. He was quite aggressive and was using ”arguments” like ”I’m from the Asocación so I know this… You listen… You don’t know how it works because you’re not from the Asociación…” Well that’s mature. I was rooting for the other guy but unfortunately my fever prevented me from leaving my room and join the discussion. It was something about the price of staying in an albergue: what’s too expensive, too cheap and what donativo is all about. Anyway, one thing that was mentioned caught my attention: that there had been about 50 people staying in this albergue during a month (last month?) and that the average donativo was 2 euros! How is that possible?! I don’t think I’ve ever given less than 5 euros in any place, not even in the horrible garage-turned-albergue in Villanueva de Bogas on the Camino del Sureste. Perhaps some pilgrims still think that donativo means ”free” and then take the opportunity not to pay anything. A few others then pay a more reasonable price, but it eventually sums up to 2 euros/person. Or am I the only one who gets upset by this?! The albergue in Puente Duero is really great and deserves more than that…! As do other albergues. More outbursts to come! /BP [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
❓How to ask a question
How to post a new question
on the Camino Forum.
Latest posts
Help with accommodation on Camino Francés
Latest: Kirkie
8 minutes ago
🇪🇸 Camino FRANCÉS (Most popular route)
A Armenteria
Latest: jungleboy
13 minutes ago
🇵🇹 Caminho VARIANTE ESPIRITUAL (From Pontevedra)
CAMINO VASCO through the hills and mountains, called SAIATZ trail.
Latest: Mendizale
27 minutes ago
🇪🇸 Camino VASCO/BAYONA (Irún-St Dgo/Burgos)
Prices on Gronze for rooms
Latest: Gigipete
31 minutes ago
🇪🇸 Camino del NORTE (from Irún)
Zubiri hazardous path
Latest: davejsy
42 minutes ago
🇪🇸 Camino FRANCÉS (Most popular route)
This site is run by Ivar at
in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential)
|
2024 Camino Guides