Final stage on the Madrid route

[alipilgrim]

I'm starting the Camino de Madrid on the 30th and am reviewing the route & my notes. I read a post a while ago that says one doesn't have to take the route thru Melgar and Duenas, but can go to Villada instead where there is a large (unused) albergue. Has anyone done this? Is there a waymarked path? From the map I'm looking at (courtesy of peterrobins.co.uk) Villada seems a bit off-course and I was curious when one would start heading east to Villada - perhaps right at the start of the stage at Villalon de Campos?

 

[Caminando]

Clearly, this is the road less travelled!

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Ali, you heard that one from me, and possibly Johnnie Walker. We used that path to get him from Villalon to Moratinos a couple of years ago. It follows the P-611, a little two-lane county road that goes due north from Villalon, passes through Boadilla de Rioseco and right into Villada, where a nice albergue sits on the far edge of town. (I think it was originally opened with the waymarking of an alternative path off the N120 from the Camino Frances, connecting Carrion de los Condes with Sahagun following an old drovers´ path via San Roman de la Cuba. Almost no one uses it but road-bikers.) The albergue keepers in Villada are enthusiastic and a bit lonely, so the odd pilgrim who finds himself there is very well cared-for indeed. Villada is also home to Pili´s Casa de Comidas, home to the finest Menu del Dia I have encountered in the province!

From Villada the path to Sahagun is well-marked via Grajal de Campos. If you want to come straight north to meet the Frances and walk right into Moratinos, just keep straight on the P-611, alongside the Rio Templarios, and you will see your first Frances waymark about 10 km. along, facing the wrong way, dropping you due west on the Camino between Terradillos de los Templarios and Moratinos. From there it´s about 1.5 km. to town, past the labyrinth.

From Moratinos it´s 9 km. to Sahagun.

 

[alipilgrim]

Thanks Rebekah! I've added these notes to the last stage in my CSJ Guide to the Madrid route, and I'll let you know if I walk via Moratinos.

I've started a blog, hoping I'll find wi-fi along the way so that I can post occasionally; Marion, Denis and Laurie will be able to get a head's up on what to expect :shock:

http://allisonswanderlust.blogspot.com/

 

[peregrina2000]

So, as one of those who will be following in Alipilgrim's footsteps, here's a question -- exactly where does the Camino de Madrid meet the Frances? I would like to walk through Grajal and then to Sahagun, and from there back to Moratinos for my first night's rest on the Frances. Based on googlemaps, it looks pretty clear that if I were driving, I wouldn't have to go all the way into the "city proper" of Sahagun to get on the road to Moratinos. Is that also true for walking?

Thanks all -- Laurie

 

[alipilgrim]

Hi Laurie,

I, too, am interested to learn the answer to your question. Out of interest, I looked at the Walking Pilgrim website and it looks like the camino comes into Sahagun at the SW part of the city:

http://maps.peterrobins.co.uk/google/321.html

You can zoom in quite a bit and see what street it comes out on....

ali

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks, ali,

I zoomed in on Peter's Camino Frances map for the stage into Sahagun (not sure this is the right link, but here goes: http://maps.peterrobins.co.uk/google/frances.html)and compared it with the Camino de Madrid map you posted the link to. It looks like the two caminos join up in town right by the Monasterio de Santa Cruz, which, if memory serves, is right next to some ruins and on the way out of Sahagun on the Camino Frances. The street is Calle de Antonio Nicolas.

It doesn't look like there's much in the way of shortcuts that would allow us to head east towards Moratinos before getting to that juncture. (Unless of course, we were to detour from Villalon).

I will probably stick with my idea of walking through Grajal, since I saw that castle 40 years ago on a crazy trip through rural Spain and I believe it was all in ruins. Memories have faded but that name, Grajal de Campos sticks in my mind.

Thanks for the navigational help, alipilgrim, maybe Reb has words of wisdom to add as well. Laurie

 

[Caminando]

Thanks Rebekah! I've added these notes to the last stage in my CSJ Guide to the Madrid route, and I'll let you know if I walk via Moratinos.

I've started a blog, hoping I'll find wi-fi along the way so that I can post occasionally; Marion, Denis and Laurie will be able to get a head's up on what to expect :shock:

http://allisonswanderlust.blogspot.com/

Thanks Ali,

I'll be out of contact, however, but a real thanks to you.
Reb's directions are detailed and helpful.

You're off in a few days.....fantastic!!!

Buen camino...