MarianneGardner
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- VDLP 2010&11 Madrid 2013&15 Mozarabe 2015 Cid 2019
I am thoroughly enjoying this Camino 2 years and 2 weeks after the first time. I started in Cercedilla - the walk over Fuenfria was still arduous but a delight to do it with my son, who is now living in Spain and my friend David, an ex military type. At the bottom of the hill he pointed out remnants of artillery shrapnel and trenches - and it seems this was one of the sites of the Battle of Segovia in the Civil War. This is the main theme of Hemingway's 'For Whom the Bell Tolls'. We had a rest day in Segovia visiting the magnificent gardens at La Granja. We managed to stay in the rain shadow all the way to Santa Maria la Real de Nieva while the rest of Spain was in deluge. However we did a few extra kms due to following the wrong signs just a few km from Santa Maria. A Hostal on the main highway has posted misleading signs - so if you come to a large solar farm on the way into Santa Maria you have missed the trail in. Then we found most of Santa Maria closed on a Monday including Hostal Real. However we stayed at the very comfortable Albergue and one bar and a shop nearby were open late. In Coca tonight. No rain and great walking conditions.