LIVE from the Camino Four days on the Camino de Madrid

[Liica]

We finished the 4 stages from Madrid to Segovia.
Day 1: leaving Madrid, it is not something I like to walk so long around the city. It is a long way to Tres Cantos. In Montecarmelo we left all civilization behind and walked for a long time side by side with the road. No resupply point after that.
The church in Madrid only opens at 10 am, so we did not get any stamps for the credential. We also didn’t want to stop at any bar.
It was a very hard day. Maybe because we spent almost 6 months without any exercise.
Particularly, I would suggest to start this camino in Colmenar Viejo (a bit further away from tres Cantos) where it really start to get amazingly beautiful!

 

[Liica]

In Tres Cantos we had the best diner we could at the Restaurante Tres Claves. Every single thing was incredible! https://maps.app.goo.gl/j9VXrEJw7HYUduQ79?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

We went to 2 Ayuntamiento buildings to get the stamp, without success. We only got the hotel’s one.

After Colmenar, the landscape starts to get wondeful and we can see A Pedriza and the Guadarrama perfectly.

We were lucky to have about 18 degrees in the aftenoons. Warmer than I was expecting, because the past few days were were colder around here and I had more clothes than I needed. In Manzanares I left a small backpack with a few clothes at the hotel and I’ll take it back next weekend.

 

[Liica]

Gets even better than day 2.
Besides the 2 places to stop, eat and drink (El Boalo and Navacerrada), the landscape gets better and better when we approach the Guadarrama.
We gave up having any stamps at this time.
Personally, we love Navacerrada.

 

[Liica]

We’ve been waiting for this day for so long! The best of all, crossing the Guadarrama.

Bust also very hard because there’s absolutely nothing in more than 30kms.

All the effort was worth and we are happy for the achievement. Looking forward to walk this way little by little in the next few years.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

@Liica, may I ask what this very interesting looking dessert is? I've never seen anything like it before.

 

[El Cascayal]

may I ask what this very interesting looking dessert is? I've never seen anything like it before.

I thought it was spinach mashed potatoes with a tomato sauce.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I thought it was spinach mashed potatoes with a tomato sauce.

Well, I wondered because it was on a dessert plate like the cheesecake was, and the meat dishes are on platters with fries; otherwise it's a good thought, @El Cascayal.

P.S...On second thought maybe we are both wrong and it is a unique, gourmet salad.

 

[Adelina]

Looks like a great Camino!!

 

[Alvin T]

We finished the 4 stages from Madrid to Segovia.
Day 1: leaving Madrid, it is not something I like to walk so long around the city. It is a long way to Tres Cantos. In Montecarmelo we left all civilization behind and walked for a long time side by side with the road. No resupply point after that.
The church in Madrid only opens at 10 am, so we did not get any stamps for the credential. We also didn’t want to stop at any bar.
It was a very hard day. Maybe because we spent almost 6 months without any exercise.
Particularly, I would suggest to start this camino in Colmenar Viejo (a bit further away from tres Cantos) where it really start to get amazingly beautiful!

My Madrid Camino started in downtown Madrid. I only walked to the edge of the city, then a subway ride back to downtown. The next day, I took the subway back to the edge of Madrid and continued from there.
It’s a quiet Camino with few pilgrims but I loved it. I grew up on the prairies so the last week and a half we perfect. Enjoy!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I walked the Madrid Way from Segovia last fall. I really enjoyed it. It is mainly flatish from there, but I felt was much different than the Frances' Meseta. Both were special, but had different unique things to see and do. A few standouts (of many) on the Madrid were the aqueduct, cathedral and Alcazar castle in Segovia, the castle tour in Coca, and a side trip to Valladolid. The huge pine groves with all the buckets collecting sap was quite unique as well and I was fascinated by a few old adobe villages.

 

[peregrina2000]

@Liica, may I ask what this very interesting looking dessert is? I've never seen anything like it before.
View attachment 180134

Found it on the restaurant’s menu. It is (I’m pretty sure) burratina con tomate asado y helado de albahaca (burratina with roasted tomato and basil ice cream).

This certainly wins a prize for the most unusual menu item I can remember. It’s listed not in desserts but in “salads and vegetables.” Well, it is true that the cheese, tomato and basil qualify as things commonly found in salads!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Found it on the restaurant’s menu. It is (I’m pretty sure) burratina con tomate asado y helado de albahaca (burratina with roasted tomato and basil ice cream).

This certainly wins a prize for the most unusual menú item I can remember. It’s listed not in desserts but in “salads and vegetables.” Well, it is true that the cheese, tomato and basil qualify as things commonly found in salads!

Oh my! I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to order that unusual combination of ingredients. Thanks, Laurie, for thinking to look it up. I'm not sure if my google translate could have figured out that mouthful of Spanish words.

 

[C clearly]

In Tres Cantos we had the best diner we could at the Restaurante Tres Claves. Every single thing was incredible!

This certainly wins a prize for the most unusual menú item I can remember.

Let's meet for dinner at that restaurant in 2025!

 

[ArleneLaskey]

My Madrid Camino started in downtown Madrid. I only walked to the edge of the city, then a subway ride back to downtown. The next day, I took the subway back to the edge of Madrid and continued from there.
It’s a quiet Camino with few pilgrims but I loved it. I grew up on the prairies so the last week and a half we perfect. Enjoy!

I like that strategy, did it in Porto to Matoshinos. I plan to do for the Madrid as well, once I have the opportunity.

 

[Liica]

Let's meet for dinner at that restaurant in 2025!

For sure. Just let me know when

 

[Liica]

Found it on the restaurant’s menu. It is (I’m pretty sure) burratina con tomate asado y helado de albahaca (burratina with roasted tomato and basil ice cream).

This certainly wins a prize for the most unusual menú item I can remember. It’s listed not in desserts but in “salads and vegetables.” Well, it is true that the cheese, tomato and basil qualify as things commonly found in salads!

You are right. That’s a first dish, listed as salad. Deliiish!!

 

[Liica]

@Liica, may I ask what this very interesting looking dessert is? I've never seen anything like it before.
View attachment 180134

Just a huge burrata with pesto, tomato and basil ice cream.

 

[MikeJS]

I like that strategy, did it in Porto to Matoshinos. I plan to do for the Madrid as well, once I have the opportunity.

I opted to stay about 10km out of the centre of Madrid for the first night. That meant that after flying in I could get to Santiago y San Juan Bautista and a wait until 1800 for it to open then after getting my credencial stamped at the church I had a short 10 km stroll to my first nights accommodation along the Camino at Hostal Royal Begona.

 

[Liica]

I opted to stay about 10km out of the centre of Madrid for the first night. That meant that after flying in I could get to Santiago y San Juan Bautista and a wait until 1800 for it to open then after getting my credencial stamped at the church I had a short 10 km stroll to my first nights accommodation along the Camino at Hostal Royal Begona.

I left an empty space in my credential and will get the stamp some other day

 

[Miki Goldie]

2 weeks walking, (always take extra water), 6 pilgrims all up along the way, Manzanes de Real donativo a treat, with Rosa & Ray, Segovia _superb...then the lovely Marist brothers at Sahagun. What a fantastic camino.