New albergue planned for Grajal de Campos

[peregrina2000]

Sil posted a link to a news article that describes, among other things, an albergue being planned in Grajal de Campos.

Grajal de Campos has a castle and a palace and an old square, and the view of the walls from afar is quite a majestic one. I was really surprised at how run down and empty the town was. As I ate a snack on a bench in the square, it was quite desolate. There are a couple of bars there, but not too much else that I could see. So maybe the albergue will be a good pick-me-upper for the town.

I was kind of surprised to hear of this plan, because Grajal is only 6 kms south of Sahagun (where the Camino de Madrid joins the Camino Frances). It must be that the numbers on the Camino de Madrid are rising more quickly than I thought.

With an albergue in Grajal de Campos, it becomes a more manageable day from Villalon de Campos, so maybe that's the plan.

Buen camino, Larie

 

[Millie Mochila]

Also one being built in Zamaramala to replace the old hermita there.

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks for that news, Millie, I had heard that from people in Segovia but wan't sure if it was actually in the implementation stage. I'm not sure I would have had the stamina to keep going to Zamarramala even if there were an albergue there, after that long stage from Cercedilla. And anyway, who can pass up Segovia? But I guess it's always good to have more pilgrim accommodations.

The Camino de Madrid must have one of the best albergue systems of all Spanish caminos, and it seems to keep getting better. Now all it needs is pilgrims, since I was alone many nights in some pretty amazing facilities.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[peregrina2000]

I've been communicating with a peregrino who is going to walk the Camino de Madrid, and we were wondering if there is any update on this albergue. Grajal would be a nice stop from Villalon, leaving Sahagun for the next day.

The google-searching I've done pulled up some pictures showing that it is going to be right smack dab in the middle of the main plaza. Incredible, it looks like a terrific location:

http://tomas-misfotos.blogspot.com/2012 ... ue-de.html

Any update on whether this is proceeding, or is it a victim of the cuts?

 

[peregrina2000]

Well, maybe I should temper my enthusiasm. The blogger describes how the albergue is being built in the mazmorras in the Plaza Mayor. Mazmorras means dungeon, and the albergue will be down where the prisoners were chained up. Not sure that's the most welcoming image.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Rebekah Scott]

From the looks of the photos It´s as good as many of the "dungeon" albergues I have stayed in before!

There´s a good bit of talk about this project, it is keeping alive the restoration work in the palace up above. Progress is slow (of course) but the IT guy from Sahagun tells me he´s installed some wiring there already so the pilgrims will have a wifi connection. I will take a drive over to Grajal within the week and see how things are getting on.

Grajal is very near, we sometimes buy wine from a bodega there (they do Prieto Picudo!) In the summertime the town comes alive, and there is a nice outdoor grill restaurant right off the plaza, behind a rather unpromising-looking bar called "La Cepa."

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Reb,

Thanks for the update. I remember sitting alone in the totally empty plaza in Grajal, weary from a several km detour from having missed the arrows at some point on my way into Arenillas, and then having the skies open upon me. Ah, wallowing in self pity. (But as is frequently the case on my caminos, you came to the rescue in Sahagun and made all the difference).

But back to Grajal, I remember thinking -- this is a town with old walls, an ancient castle, a palace, a hugely historic plaza mayor, why is nothing happening here? So, it looks like something IS happening now!

Just go ahead and rub it in with the Prieto Picudo. Though I don't know exactly what that is, I assume it's another one of those ridiculously lovely red Spanish wines that is sold for a ridiculously low price.

But seriously, this is great news that the albergue is proceeding. I have to think the traffic on the Camino de Madrid is increasing, and this would be such a perfect spot for the end of a stage from Villalon. Villalon to Santervas is too few kms, Villalon to Sahagun is a killer, but Villalon to Grajal is just right. And, it gives you one last night of respite before joining the mad crush of the Frances!

Abrazos, Laurie

 

[unadara]

Laurie
I will try and write all these tips down before I go on Sept 13th as I intend to detour to Moratinos. Last time I passed through this village/pueblo I was suffering from tummy illness ans on ginger tea, next time I hope to try some Vino Tinto. This new alberques looks amazing, hope it's open.

 

[peregrina2000]

So, Una, I would be stunned if the albergue in Grajal is up and running by September. I was just on the Primitivo, where there is an albergue completely constructed in Castroverde (about 24 kms before Lugo) but no money to furnish it. But it is a different regional autonomia (Castilla y Leon as opposed to Galicia), so maybe it will happen!

So, I assume you will sleep in Villalon. It's a beautiful albergue, usually tended to by a volunteer hospitalero, and the town is a very nice place to spend an afternoon. Restaurants/bars and stores are other commerce. But for the next day you will have to make a decision to do one of several things:

1) sleep in the albergue in Santervas, about 15 kms from Villalon. There is a very nice romanesque church here, a statue to one of the conquistadores who was born here (can't remember which one), and a small grocery store. I think there may be a bar, but I'm not certain about that.

2) Continue from Santervas and sleep in the albergue in Melgar de Arriba. Info on this web page, scroll down till you see albergue: http://www.melgardearriba.es/servicios.html . Melgar is about another 6-7 kms after Santervas.

3) Continue on to Arenillas, through Grajal (assuming there is no albergue yet in September) and then to Sahagun. This is what I did, but it is an extremely long day. Using option one or two would give you an easy way to break Villalon to Sahagun into two days.

Sahagun is on the Camino Frances, as you know, and it's another 10 or so BACKWARDS to get to Moratinos. Reb has been known to take pity on us and come get us, though.

4) The alternative that Reb mentioned would get you out to the Camino Frances at a point that is east of Moratinos, rather than Sahagun, which is west of Moratinos. That's the option described here: camino-de-madrid/topic10639.html This is also a two-day walk. Unlike 1, 2, or 3, you leave the Camino de Madrid right when you are leaving Villalon. You then stay on the CL-611 (or P-611, I've seen it referred to as both), and in 18.5 kms, you are in Villada where there is a nice, rarely used albergue and a great restaurant called Casa de Comidas Pili (thanks Canuck). The second day, you have a 17 km day into Moratinos. The CL 611 will deposit you on the Camino Frances in Terradillos de los Templarios, and from there it's a few (3-4) kms on the Camino to Moratinos.

I am assuming you've seen Reb's online CSJ guide to the Camino de Madrid, but if not, it's here: http://www.csj.org.uk/guides-online.htm

I have some notes from my 2011 that complement or supplement those pages, and I'll send them to you. And if anyone else wants them, just PM me.

So how did you get so lucky to do two caminos in one year?????