Coffee

[nandogdc]

We are leaving Sahagún and can’t find any coffee for breakfast. Any advice or has someone seen any on the way.
Saludos
Nando

 

[Bristle Boy]

We are leaving Sahagún and can’t find any coffee for breakfast. Any advice or has someone seen any on the way.
Saludos
Nando

Spain doesn't serve coffee on a Monday.
You might have to wait until tomorrow.

 

[trecile]

Look for "cafe" on Google Maps.
It looks like this place is open

Cafeteria Caracas · C. Informantes, 24320 Sahagún, León, Spain

âââââ · Bar

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[J Willhaus]

Stop in the next small town? This winter I often had to make a cup of instant using coffee con leche packets. It's not great, but was better than none.

 

[Albertinho]

Best is to go to a place where workers have their breakfast. Often simple restaurants for a coffee, croissant or churo .Often to be found at industrial area’s ( so called polígono industrial) or downstairs in big office buildings in big cities and towns
Spanish are not used to have breakfast at home and also their lunch they eat in such a restaurant ,so called menu del dia
A three course menu with a drink for about 10 €. If there are lots of workers inside at lunchtime,it offers good quality .
Only during weekdays

In Portugal they adopted the “ menu do dia” often a few euros cheaper than in Spain
If you meet such a restaurant that serves el menu del dia, forget restaurants that offer pilgrim menus

 

[markie6]

I've always stopped at this place

Restaurante Confiteria Asturcón Yagual​

It's situated right on the trail IIRC and has nice cakes and coffee

 

[Jopellerin]

Best is to go to a place where workers have their breakfast. Often simple restaurants for a coffee, croissant or churo .Often to be found at industrial area’s ( so called polígono industrial) or downstairs in big office buildings in big cities and towns
Spanish are not used to have breakfast at home and also their lunch they eat in such a restaurant ,so called menu del dia
A three course menu with a drink for about 10 €. If there are lots of workers inside at lunchtime,it offers good quality .
Only during weekdays

In Portugal they adopted the “ menu do dia” often a few euros cheaper than in Spain
If you meet such a restaurant that serves el menu del dia, forget restaurants that offer pilgrim menus

That's a great tip, thanks.

 

[frank john]

Stop in the next small town? This winter I often had to make a cup of instant using coffee con leche packets. It's not great, but was better than none.

How did you make your coffee? Electric coil?

 

[J Willhaus]

Microwave with a cup of hot water. My electric coils always burn out and it is hard to source a replacement. We almost always stay at an albergue with a kitchen or at least a microwave.

 

[SlowCamino2024]

We are leaving Sahagún and can’t find any coffee for breakfast. Any advice or has someone seen any on the way.
Saludos
Nando

Maybe you can find your own drip filter in a store in a larger town as well as coffee. That is my plan anyway from decades of travel: Bring own mug, heating element, drip filter and coffee! Sometimes you can find a decent instant coffee to make it simpler but not my favorite. When you need that coffee first thing in the morning and nothing is open you just do LOL! Also a way to save a few euros if on a budget that can be spent on something else!

 

[Traveller44]

Microwave with a cup of hot water. My electric coils always burn out and it is hard to source a replacement. We almost always stay at an albergue with a kitchen or at least a microwave.

I was planning to bring a coil on my Sanabres, this fall. Any idea why your coil kept burning out? Does the complete coil have to be submerged?

 

[Jopellerin]

That’s exactly correct. The coil must be completely submerged in water (in the mug), before you plug it in. Otherwise it burns out.

 

[jsalt]

Don’t do what I did. Late at night I made a hot drink with my coil, and then pulled the plug out. Read my book for an hour. There was no bedside table lamp, so I had to get up to switch the top light off. As I returned to bed I saw a red glow on the other side of the bed . . . I had inadvertently unplugged my cell phone, not the coil, which was hanging over the edge of a small wooden table. I was sleeping alone in a thatched reed hut at the time.

I still go cold when I think about it . . .

 

[SlowCamino2024]

OUCH AMIGO! YES, we must be ALWAYS VIGILANT.
SAD story. Thanks for sharing. Too many cables to mind!

 

[J Willhaus]

Yes, and important to get a coil for the EU and not the US in my case...poof, it was gone...also had one burn out in the US because I didn't have it submerged. Since then I have gone with the microwavable cup...at home and abroad.

 

[frank john]

Microwave with a cup of hot water. My electric coils always burn out and it is hard to source a replacement. We almost always stay at an albergue with a kitchen or at least a microwave.

Yes, and important to get a coil for the EU and not the US in my case...poof, it was gone...also had one burn out in the US because I didn't have it submerged. Since then I have gone with the microwavable cup...at home and abroad.

 

[frank john]

Thank you for the suggestion. Usually I stay in a private pension or hotel which makes the microwave not an option. I guess I’ll have to try a get a durable electric coil or go without hot coffee if a cafe isn’t open.

 

[mattythedog]

Had you stayed in Albergue de la Santa Cruz, you would have been able to get coffee when the breakfast room opened at 0600

 

[peregrina2000]

Thank you for the suggestion. Usually I stay in a private pension or hotel which makes the microwave not an option. I guess I’ll have to try a get a durable electric coil or go without hot coffee if a cafe isn’t open.

I’ve used a coil for years, since 2013 to be exact. I usually walk pretty untraveled caminos, and frequently there are no early morning café options for many kms. That makes it essential for me! I bought it in the US and taped on a Spanish adaptor plug (taped it so that I would not leave the adaptor plug in the wall when I unplugged the coil).

@mspath taught me the most important rule of using an electric coil — the coil must be fully immersed in water when you plug it in and when you unplug it. They won’t last forever in any case, but my second one (which @C clearly gave to me) has been going for six years and shows no signs of giving up the ghost. My first one fizzled out somewhere around Fuenterroble on the Via de la Plata.

 

[JerryStroebele]

My emergency morning caffeine stash is a dozen Starbucks sachets. Even hot tap water can satisfy. Every morning I thank God for the Ethiopians. Buen Camino

 

[SlowCamino2024]

My emergency morning caffeine stash is a dozen Starbucks sachets. Even hot tap water can satisfy. Every morning I thank God for the Ethiopians. Buen Camino

Yes, agreed. Good reminder.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

My emergency morning caffeine stash is a dozen Starbucks sachets. Even hot tap water can satisfy. Every morning I thank God for the Ethiopians. Buen Camino

It takes a dozen Starbucks sachets to make a cup of "coffee"? Wow, I knew it was weak but still

Another infamous multinational, Nescafé, sells sachets of 3 in 1 (instant coffee, creamer, sugar) and 2 in 1 (instant coffee and creamer). It's not really coffee but it's convenient to carry and it does contain caffeine.

 

[LouLou]

Once upon a time…came across a vending machine in the early in the morning in Cizur Minor in 2018 (last Camino Frances… too busy after that one). It had a can of what we Aussies would call a flat white, and once ‘popped’ it was hot! The perfect amount of caffeine required to get going… now in 2024 I have cans of what is effectively is an iced ‘long black’ in my fridge in Brisbane….

 

[Rebekah Scott]

A pilgrim adjusts to the situation.
You posted when it wasn't even 7 am yet!! Sahagun doesn't really wake up until about 9. If you want coffee, you should have some at the albergue before you leave -- many have vending machines. Alb. Santa Cruz has breakfast coffee in the dining room.
Worse comes to worst, carry a teabag with you, and use the hottest hot water you can get from a bathroom sink to make up an emergency caffiene fix in your water bottle.

 

[NadineK]

I’ve used a coil for years, since 2013 to be exact. I usually walk pretty untraveled caminos, and frequently there are no early morning café options for many kms. That makes it essential for me! I bought it in the US and taped on a Spanish adaptor plug (taped it so that I would not leave the adaptor plug in the wall when I unplugged the coil).

@mspath taught me the most important rule of using an electric coil — the coil must be fully immersed in water when you plug it in and when you unplug it. They won’t last forever in any case, but my second one (which @C clearly gave to me) has been going for six years and shows no signs of giving up the ghost. My first one fizzled out somewhere around Fuenterroble on the Via de la Plata.

Love a thread where members of the electric coil club start showing up...

 

[SlowCamino2024]

May I ask which brand of coil are you using that has lasted
SIX years? woo hoo! That is a LONG time.
YES, some of us find our morning coffee VERY
important LOL! Gracias Camino friends for your
suggestions!

 

[El Cascayal]

Yes, and important to get a coil for the EU and not the US

FYI: this past May while searching for a coil with an EU plug found out some things:
Illegal to buy in Spain. Legitimate electro doméstico shops are not allowed to sell them and face a large potential fine if they do. Even the “bazaar/tiendas de China” don’t sell them. I did find one in a hole in the wall hardware store in Madrid. It appeared ancient & it gave me the heebie jeebies.

 

[SlowCamino2024]

FYI: this past May while searching for a coil with an EU plug found out some things:
Illegal to buy in Spain. Legitimate electro doméstico shops are not allowed to sell them and face a large potential fine if they do. Even the “bazaar/tiendas de China” don’t sell them. I did find one in a hole in the wall hardware store in Madrid. It appeared ancient & it gave me the heebie jeebies.

GOOD to know. But I was planning to buy one from Amazon, either one
that works in Europe or use the adaptor, but the former is obviously
easier. THANKS for the warning!

 

[simply B]

Back when I started Camino-ing, this problem was pretty common. Being caught out with no coil or packets of instant my only recourse was to avoid other pilgrims until I found an open bar and downed a couple of cups.

When confronted with a cheery visage enquiring if I was not a "morning person", I generally replied, "Until I have a couple of con leche, kid, I ain't even a person."

B

 

[KariC]

Stop in the next small town? This winter I often had to make a cup of instant using coffee con leche packets. It's not great, but was better than none.

I do something similar while camping. Granted, every extra gram you're carrying is an issue, but I make a mixture of powdered milk, cinnamon, cayenne, cocoa, and a good quality powdered coffee (like Via), and have a mixture to just add hot water to, and I had something resembling a Mexican latte - quite drinkable! (On the Camino, I never had a problem finding coffee, but if you're worried you might be caught coffee-less and don't mind carrying extra "just-in-case" weight, you could mix some of this up.)

 

[WGroleau]

Spain doesn't serve coffee on a Monday.
You might have to wait until tomorrow.

I presume this is a joke. For the benefit of anyone else who isn’t sure, it’s not true. I spent seventeen months in Spain (Pamplona to Muxia/Fisterra) and can’t remember ever not having my daily café con leche.

 

[Gringazolana]

Love a thread where members of the electric coil club start showing up...

#TeamCoil4Ever you gotta do what you gotta do. Some of us need caffeine in order to get up and go find some caffeine! (Also useful for instant oatmeal, couscous, etc.)

 

[SlowCamino2024]

#TeamCoil4Ever you gotta do what you gotta do. Some of us need caffeine in order to get up and go find some caffeine! (Also useful for instant oatmeal, couscous, etc.)

#TeamCoil4Ever you gotta do what you gotta do. Some of us need caffeine in order to get up and go find some caffeine! (Also useful for instant oatmeal, couscous, etc.)

YES! I just ordered my coil from Amazon that includes adaptor. Many uses besides coffee, as mentioned by you! Soup, oatmeal, quinoa, couscous, etc. Also a good money-saver for preparing own meals.

 

[SBurgess]

Coffee is a Commie plot to pollute the purity of our precious bodily fluids.

 

[SlowCamino2024]

Coffee is a Commie plot to pollute the purity of our precious bodily fluids.

Everyone has a different point of view, don't they?

 

[SlowCamino2024]

Everyone has a different point of view, don't they?

PS: Actually, Edgar Cayce, the Sleeping Prophet, not a commie, said black coffee was healthy.
I have been muscle-tested for organic black coffee and it came out positive. We all have
different biology. Blessings.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Coffee is a Commie plot to pollute the purity of our precious bodily fluids.

That seems to have gone straight over somebody's head without slowing down much.
Strange,
love from Jeffrey

 

[SBurgess]

Coffee is a Commie plot to pollute the purity of our precious bodily fluids.

As someone who has tasted less than 1/2 cup of coffee in my entire life--it is the most godawful taste imaginable--I posted my comment to throw a bit of humor into the conversation. The was deliberately left out as I was curious to see if anyone would notice my attempt at humor.

Thanks for noticing @Jeff Crawley.

I should give a nod to Stanley Kubrick's classic film, Dr. Strangelove. (One particular scene).

 

[SlowCamino2024]

Hey Jeff,
Humor is ALWAYS appreciated!

However, given the volatile, socio-politically correct times
we are in, it is sometimes even hard for a sarcastic old timer
like me to discern what is humor and what is righteousness
LOL! Glad to hear it was actual humor and not someone
really meaning those words! Thanks for clarification!

That being said, yes, for the unaddicted, coffee can have
a terrible flavor. But for those of us relying on it for a life-
time to get us up and keep us moving, it is too late! It is
an acquired taste! Hope someone is laughing here
I guess I better revisit Dr. Strangelove as well!

 

[Jeff Crawley]

As someone who has tasted less than 1/2 cup of coffee in my entire life--it is the most godawful taste imaginable

So you've been to Starbucks too!

 

[SBurgess]

Recently I visited Azerbaijan where I met a women from the Netherlands. She told me of the time she visited her son now living in Seattle, Washington (US).
He took her to see the original Starbucks Coffee Shop and for a cup of Starbucks finest coffee. My new friend made it plain to me that Starbucks coffee was not coffee! She did not finish the cup of whatever it was she was served.

 

[simply B]

Recently I visited Azerbaijan where I met a women from the Netherlands. She told me of the time she visited her son now living in Seattle, Washington (US).
He took her to see the original Starbucks Coffee Shop and for a cup of Starbucks finest coffee. My new friend made it plain to me that Starbucks coffee was not coffee! She did not finish the cup of whatever it was she was served.

Even when I was learning how to roast green coffee, my worst experiments were STILL better than that asphalt-flavored brew.

 

[dougfitz]

He took her to see the original Starbucks Coffee Shop and for a cup of Starbucks finest coffee. My new friend made it plain to me that Starbucks coffee was not coffee! She did not finish the cup of whatever it was she was served.

My taste buds are not that well honed that I would reject a Starbucks or any other chain coffee when that is all there is to be had. But it's always nice to be home and be able to get to places where I do like the coffee they serve.

 

[peregrina2000]

FYI: this past May while searching for a coil with an EU plug found out some things:
Illegal to buy in Spain.

I’m wondering where you read or heard that, because there are lots of them sold on amazon.es and in Spanish ferreterías online - just search calentador por inmersion. Carrefour and Worten both sell them online, and I’d be very surprised if big chains were selling illegal products.

 

[SlowCamino2024]

Just received my coil by Diximus W-DX 300
from Amazon US that includes dual voltage
adaptor.

 

[El Cascayal]

I’m wondering where you read or heard that, because there are lots of them sold on amazon.es and in Spanish ferreterías online

It may sound inaccurate but this was my experience in April 2024. In Santiago on Rua Caldeireria off Preguntorio, I was given this information in person at 2 separate stores. Same thing in 3 small places in Madrid.
I didn’t try El Corte Inglés or Carrefour or online.
I would love to know if anyone has bought one recently in person.

 

[peregrina2000]

It may sound inaccurate but this was my experience in April 2024. In Santiago on Rua Caldeireria off Preguntorio, I was given this information in person at 2 separate stores. Same thing in 3 small places in Madrid.
I didn’t try El Corte Inglés or Carrefour or online.
I would love to know if anyone has bought one recently in person.

I think the best option would be to buy one in the US and use duct tape to tape the adaptor plug to the US plug. I only use my coil in Spain or Portugal, so I just leave the plug firmly attached and it works great.

 

[El Cascayal]

I think the best option would be to buy one in the US and use duct tape to tape the adaptor plug to the US plug. I only use my coil in Spain or Portugal, so I just leave the plug firmly attached and it works great.

And make sure it has dual voltage.

 

[SlowCamino2024]

And make sure it has dual voltage.

The one I just bought on US Amazon has dual voltage .
earlier mentioned, has dual voltage, though securing
with duct tape is a great idea! Thanks gang!

 

[WGroleau]

Recently I visited Azerbaijan where I met a women from the Netherlands. She told me of the time she visited her son now living in Seattle, Washington (US).
He took her to see the original Starbucks Coffee Shop and for a cup of Starbucks finest coffee. My new friend made it plain to me that Starbucks coffee was not coffee! She did not finish the cup of whatever it was she was served.

Charbucks

 

[timr]

This is a bit off topic, but over 25 years ago I visited Seattle and my sister then living there had a ticket for a tour of the Starbucks factory, and guided coffee tasting, purchased at a fundraising auction for the children's school.

And off we went.

It was not a regular thing you could buy or buy into - I think it was a special for fundraisers. We were certainly the only two people there. Starbucks had not come to UK yet and had a hint of the exotic. And I was living in Kenya at the time and Starbucks was and remains unknown there.

And I had a cup of coffee which I can still taste, non-blended from Ethiopia, and it still stands out of one of my favourite cups of coffee ever.