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E and L on the Madrid

Elizabeth2018

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2018 Madrid, Salvador
Arrived Tres Cantos this evening after 8 pm having walked from Fuencarral this afternoon. Sunny and temps of mid 20s although occasionally a nice breeze. Getting into Tres Cantos was a bit difficult. The Camino arrows took us into a hard bicycle track but then we noticed an arrow on a parallel Sandy path which was much more comfortable walking. Then we had the business of trying to figure out what bridge to cross to get in to Tres Cantos. CsJ guide says there are three. One was visible from the track so we decided to try it and see what happened. It is a metal bridge and just as we got across it and realized we should have carried on to the next one there was a flash of lightening and a rumble of thunder. We hightailed it off on the other side in a shot and given the circumstances decided there was no going back across it anytime soon! The Via Pecuria runs along from there Bit looking st the map we reckoned it would take us way out of our way. A bit of exploring yielded a narrow ditch on our side of the highway (thank goodness for cement barriers between us and the road) and got ourselves to the next and what seems like the main entrance into Tres Cantos. With online maps we managed to find our way into the city to the VP Jardín. Great hotel but the wifi isn’t working so I am doing this on my Spanish sim and going to stop now. For those who come behind don’t take the first bridge! Find your way to the next one and you should be able to navigate into town.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I will be on CdeM in two weeks. Pls keep the info coming.
Buen Camino
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
There is no accommodation in Manzanares el Real. Be sure to let lovely Ray and Rosa know your arrival plans.
 
I will be on CdeM in two weeks. Pls keep the info coming.
Buen Camino
We are now in Colmenar Viejo. But a bit on getting into Tres Cantos first. This morning we discovered that our hotel the VP Jarein was about six blocks and across the highway on the THIRD bridge. That one takes you right into the centre of town. Then you could just backtrack on the same to connect back to the Camino.
The walk from Tres Cantos is beautiful. After crossing back over the highway and resuming the Camino, the route drops deep into a river valley. We crossed the river eight times, seven of them through fords. Watch for unsteady stepping stones if you are crossing. The rectangular granite ones are generally fine but where they are missing, they have been replaced by large pieces of rounded granite stones and they are a bit wobbly. We did not fall in!

The climb out of the valley towards Colmenar is challenging. It goes up and up and up. I think it was @OzAnnie and @jillsalt who climbed it in wind and rain. That would not be pleasant. On sunny hot days like today though, there is almost no shelter from the elements once you leave the area around the river. We had a short break under a wall by the side of the road — the only bit of shade we could find after leaving the river. The day started hot and sunny although we had noted a thunderstorm warning for the afternoon. The sky was clear and then in the distance we saw the black clouds rolling in. Fortunately the worst of it arrived after we had arrived at the Gran Hostal El Chiscon — of course the hotel is way up the hill from where the Camino meets the Town. Of course. There is never enough hill climbing for a pilgrim!
 
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Further to L’s post above. We write this morning from Manzanares el Real. The lady who gave us breakfast here at Alojiamento de La Pedriza has offered to drive us to Mataelpino. We took longer than expected yesterday and want to catch up a bit today as we have a hotel reservation in Segovia tomorrow night. So we will walk from Mataelpino instead. Although first we have to go to the post office here in MelR to mail some stuff to Ivar! Too much weight!

Yesterday’s journey took us down into a river valley from the hilltop town of Colmenar Viejo and then back up over another big hill through farming country. Only no baas and moos here (we heard those on Tuesday). For the first half of the day our sound track alternated between running water and birdsong, and periodic thumps of artillery fire from somewhere to the west. At one point a military helicopter flew over between us and Colmenar Viejo. At breakfast this morning there were several men in fatigues with patches showing a crown set above a large bird of prey with wings outstretched and Spanish flags. We wondered if they were perhaps paratroopers. Or perhaps helicopter crew given the flyover.
Back on the ground the track was extremely rugged. The terrain here is sandy soil on rocky outcrop and recent rains had gouged out huge ruts— knee or thigh deep in some cases, and eroded a lot of the sand track. We picked our way through and down the hillside and then back up again on the other side. Once we got up nearer the top however the track was harder packed and that made going a little easier. The track was bordered by the stone walls of cañadas — enormous pastures with horses and cows — and torros. This area seems to be bull breeding country. And they are magnificent.
A picnic stop and check of our phones and L’s Fitbit showed that we had made only 7.3 km in 3 hours, thanks to the difficult terrain. But we picked up speed in the second half and despite some distractions taking photos of the bulls we made good time and soon found ourselves descending into another valley and the most spectacular views of the lake, the town and the Sierra behind.

When we first started planning this trip we thought about skipping the first part of this journey and starting instead from Segovia. After yesterday I am so glad we changed our minds.
 
There is no accommodation in Manzanares el Real. Be sure to let lovely Ray and Rosa know your arrival plans.

Further to L’s post above. We write this morning from Manzanares el Real. The lady who gave us breakfast here at Alojiamento de La Pedriza has offered to drive us to Mataelpino. We took longer than expected yesterday and want to catch up a bit today as we have a hotel reservation in Segovia tomorrow night. So we will walk from Mataelpino instead. Although first we have to go to the post office here in MelR to mail some stuff to Ivar! Too much weight!

Yesterday’s journey took us down into a river valley from the hilltop town of Colmenar Viejo and then back up over another big hill through farming country. Only no baas and moos here (we heard those on Tuesday). For the first half of the day our sound track alternated between running water and birdsong, and periodic thumps of artillery fire from somewhere to the west. At one point a military helicopter flew over between us and Colmenar Viejo. At breakfast this morning there were several men in fatigues with patches showing a crown set above a large bird of prey with wings outstretched and Spanish flags. We wondered if they were perhaps paratroopers. Or perhaps helicopter crew given the flyover.
Back on the ground the track was extremely rugged. The terrain here is sandy soil on rocky outcrop and recent rains had gouged out huge ruts— knee or thigh deep in some cases, and eroded a lot of the sand track. We picked our way through and down the hillside and then back up again on the other side. Once we got up nearer the top however the track was harder packed and that made going a little easier. The track was bordered by the stone walls of cañadas — enormous pastures with horses and cows — and torros. This area seems to be bull breeding country. And they are magnificent.
A picnic stop and check of our phones and L’s Fitbit showed that we had made only 7.3 km in 3 hours, thanks to the difficult terrain. But we picked up speed in the second half and despite some distractions taking photos of the bulls we made good time and soon found ourselves descending into another valley and the most spectacular views of the lake, the town and the Sierra behind.

When we first started planning this trip we thought about skipping the first part of this journey and starting instead from Segovia. After yesterday I am so glad we changed our minds.

Thank you so much for posting about Camino de Madrid!

My husband & I are starting the Camino de Madrid on Saturday afternoon. We are hoping to walk to Finisterre, so we are taking getting a head start by taking the train from Madrid to Columnar Viejo. We drop off our daughter Saturday morning in Madrid off for a study abroad and need to finish before she completes her program.

Buen Camino~
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
There is no accommodation in Manzanares el Real. Be sure to let lovely Ray and Rosa know your arrival plans.

How do we contact Ray & Rosa? We would like to stay with them!
 
Probably search them. I think their website is rayyrosa.com. The second y is deliberate. We didn't stay there. You won’t be too far behind us if you are starting from Colmenar.
 
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Thank you. I read your blog while you were walking and it was very helpful! Particularly loved your story about meeting the Señora in the square and being invited back to her home for coffee. We too are finding wonderful hospitality and kindness along the way. Tonight we are at the Bar La Alcadesa in Zamarramala and enjoying a simple but tasty home cooked meal. Also found the shop next door and stocked up on a few provisions for the next day or two. The albergue here is very good. Sparkling clean, well laid out with plugs by the beds to charge our phones and lockers to leave our things while out and/or sleeping.
 
Update on our Camino. We are now in Leon. On Thursday we found ourselves in Valdestillas and no energy to go any further. Curiously our feet took more of a beating on the flatter north side of the Sierra de Guadarrama than on the south side. Four days and 100 km of farmers fields and pine forests was enough for us. So we took an afternoon train from Valdestillas and found a small hotel (Hostal Paris — it was perfect for our needs) to rest and regroup. We liked Valladolid so much we stayed an extra day and today took the train to Leon. We start the Camino de San Salvador Sunday morning. Having cut the Madrid short we have more time for the Salvador so are going to spread it out over a few more days than originally planned. Looking forward to getting back into the mountains.

I must say that we were impressed by the kindness of the Spanish people we met along the way from Madrid. But it is a very solitary Camino and we found the final days monotonous. Everyone walks their own Camino. So we are finding ours.

Buen Camino to all of you out there right now.
 
We are now in Colmenar Viejo. But a bit on getting into Tres Cantos first. This morning we discovered that our hotel the VP Jarein was about six blocks and across the highway on the THIRD bridge. That one takes you right into the centre of town. Then you could just backtrack on the same to connect back to the Camino.
The walk from Tres Cantos is beautiful. After crossing back over the highway and resuming the Camino, the route drops deep into a river valley. We crossed the river eight times, seven of them through fords. Watch for unsteady stepping stones if you are crossing. The rectangular granite ones are generally fine but where they are missing, they have been replaced by large pieces of rounded granite stones and they are a bit wobbly. We did not fall in!

The climb out of the valley towards Colmenar is challenging. It goes up and up and up. I think it was @OzAnnie and @jillsalt who climbed it in wind and rain. That would not be pleasant. On sunny hot days like today though, there is almost no shelter from the elements once you leave the area around the river. We had a short break under a wall by the side of the road — the only bit of shade we could find after leaving the river. The day started hot and sunny although we had noted a thunderstorm warning for the afternoon. The sky was clear and then in the distance we saw the black clouds rolling in. Fortunately the worst of it arrived after we had arrived at the Gran Hostal El Chiscon — of course the hotel is way up the hill from where the Camino meets the Town. Of course. There is never enough hill climbing for a pilgrim!
How do you find the way to the Camino from Renfe station in Tres Cantos. I cannot find the way from here? Any help appreciated. Cyndi and Dave
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
How do you find the way to the Camino from Renfe station in Tres Cantos. I cannot find the way from here? Any help appreciated. Cyndi and Dave

Try to get yourself to the Eurostar de Madrid Hotel Fora. From there take the bridge across the highway. Bear slightly left and immediately right and you will see a path leading to the right and then down into some fields. If you have maps.me on your phone you may be able to see the path on that too. Buen Camino.
 
Arrived Tres Cantos this evening after 8 pm having walked from Fuencarral this afternoon. Sunny and temps of mid 20s although occasionally a nice breeze. Getting into Tres Cantos was a bit difficult. The Camino arrows took us into a hard bicycle track but then we noticed an arrow on a parallel Sandy path which was much more comfortable walking. Then we had the business of trying to figure out what bridge to cross to get in to Tres Cantos. CsJ guide says there are three. One was visible from the track so we decided to try it and see what happened. It is a metal bridge and just as we got across it and realized we should have carried on to the next one there was a flash of lightening and a rumble of thunder. We hightailed it off on the other side in a shot and given the circumstances decided there was no going back across it anytime soon! The Via Pecuria runs along from there Bit looking st the map we reckoned it would take us way out of our way. A bit of exploring yielded a narrow ditch on our side of the highway (thank goodness for cement barriers between us and the road) and got ourselves to the next and what seems like the main entrance into Tres Cantos. With online maps we managed to find our way into the city to the VP Jardín. Great hotel but the wifi isn’t working so I am doing this on my Spanish sim and going to stop now. For those who come behind don’t take the first bridge! Find your way to the next one and you should be able to navigate into town.
All though I didn't complete this Camino last year Tre Cantos was a fabulous town very active and lively. I only did 3 days walk and returned to Madrid and took a train to Sahgun. Maybe someday with some companions, I found it too lonely. In my three days saw no one on the trail.
 
All though I didn't complete this Camino last year Tre Cantos was a fabulous town very active and lively. I only did 3 days walk and returned to Madrid and took a train to Sahgun. Maybe someday with some companions, I found it too lonely. In my three days saw no one on the trail.
 
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