Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice on the Camino: Cost and Availability

[JustJack]

This question is getting into the real minutiae I realize, but I'm curious so I thought I'd ask...

Am I correct that fresh squeezed orange juice is a thing on the Camino (Frances)? By that I mean it's available everywhere, and consumed at breakfast/lunch/anytime? Assuming yes, does anyone recall the average cost?

A silly question many of you may think, but where I live (western Canada), a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice is a real luxury, and can easily cost $6++ for a tiny glass.

It's one of my indulgences when I travel in countries where it's more affordable, and given that Spain is famous for at least one variety of orange I'm wondering if fresh squeezed juice is cheap there.

A cup of coffee and glass of fresh squeezed OJ would be a luxurious way to start each day on the Camino!

 

[Anhalter]

Not everywhere and always, but yes, Spain is traditionally big in orange production, so fresh OJ is not exactly a rare thing. But that does not always mean it is cheap, depending on how touristy your place is, but likely cheaper than in canada.

 

[Darby67]

Machines similar to this are in bars and restaurants all over Spain. https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...-simplicity-of-these-wonderful-machines.8796/

 

[JustJack]

Machines similar to this are in bars and restaurants all over Spain. https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...-simplicity-of-these-wonderful-machines.8796/

wow incredible!

 

[trecile]

Yes, you can find it in most places. It's more expensive than some other beverages, but not nearly as much as in the US. There was more than one day that I spent more on orange juice than on my bed though!
If you don't see one of those machines ask if they have zumo natural.

If you want it really cheap many of the larger grocery stores have a self serve machine and bottles that you can fill.

 

[JustJack]

There was more than one day that I spent more on orange juice than on my bed though!

Been there done that, in places other than Spain!

Sounds like it may not be quite as cheap as I had hoped however. I was hoping it might be the same cost as a regular soft drink.

 

[trecile]

Been there done that, in places other than Spain!

Sounds like it may not be quite as cheap as I had hoped however. I was hoping it might be the same cost as a regular soft drink.

It often is, but regular soft drinks are often more expensive than coffee or wine!
I probably paid an average of 2 euros for a glass of fresh orange juice - a bigger glass than you get in the US for $6.

 

[LavanyaLea]

Another thing to look forward to on my future Camino! I absolutely love freshly squeezed OJ, it was my weekend treat during lockdown when the little shop/cafe round the corner could open. I brought my own 1L bottle (think they charged me for 4-5 drink portions), so definitely a luxury! (A few months later they started offering their own reusable glass bottles, copycat!)

When I was cycling around Italy, an espresso was €1 and with sugar it was my energy boost (espresso chosen for low volume+high energy boost). So if it’s similar in Spain too then all good!

 

[JustJack]

It often is, but regular soft drinks are often more expensive than coffee or wine!
I probably paid an average of 2 euros for a glass of fresh orange juice - a bigger glass than you get in the US for $6.

OK 2 euros. That gives me a sense of the cost. Not Southeast Asia cheap, but less than half the cost of it in Canada, so not bad. Cheers!

 

[jungleboy]

Orange juice in Spain is wonderful, especially the further south you go.

Here’s a story I wrote about oranges (and orange juice) in the Mediterranean once for anyone interested. And for the record, fresh orange juice cost 30 US cents per glass in Morocco in 2007!

Travels in Orange Lands
Orange trees are ubiquitous in southern Spain and Portugal. But the story of how the fruit arrived in the lands of the Camino de Santiago – and why it’s called what it is in many languages – might surprise you.

 

[La Brique Jaune]

Hi
I did the Francès in 2017, I think I paid almost the same amount as a soft drink can, 3 euros.. and I drank a lot of them.. so yes pretty available in bars.

And yes with conversion in Canadian dollars is an luxury item and they add up.: 2 by day x 35 days (55 days for me) x 3 euros x 1.5 ( for conversion). I think I drank a mortgage of orange Juice !

 

[JustJack]

And yes with conversion in Canadian dollars is an luxury item and they add up.: 2 by day x 35 days (55 days for me) x 3 euros x 1.5 ( for conversion). I think I drank a mortgage of orange Juice !

Ha ha, glad to see I'm not the only one with a weakness for fresh squeezed oj!

 

[Paul McAmino]

Climbing to the top of Alto de Poio I saw to the right a heavenly vision: a host of pilgrims sitting on a large terrace relaxing and drinking what appeared to be buckets of orange juice.
I wanted that.
I went to the counter and asked for some and some food. The large glass of juice was surprisingly inexpensive, and when it came to my table I took my place among the Elect drinking big beer glasses full of juice, and marveling at how many of us there were, sitting with silly grins on our faces, the long hot climb a thing of the past. Magic.

All the best
Paul

 

[Former member 91017]

It often is, but regular soft drinks are often more expensive than coffee or wine!
I probably paid an average of 2 euros for a glass of fresh orange juice - a bigger glass than you get in the US for $6.

Exactly my experience as well. I definitely had my share when I felt like it.
As a resident in Canada, longing for flavours of Spain, I did buy myself a hand-press (one of those giant cast iron ones), and I can buy a bag of juice oranges for about $6 (makes about 6 proper juice glasses, same size as in Spain) and I keep the oranges in the fridge so that the juice is nice and cold.
I do recommend it @JustJack. Your local grocer probably sells the oranges.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Climbing to the top of Alto de Poio I saw to the right a heavenly vision: a host of pilgrims sitting on a large terrace relaxing and drinking what appeared to be buckets of orange juice.
I wanted that.
I went to the counter and asked for some and some food. The large glass of juice was surprisingly inexpensive, and when it came to my table I took my place among the Elect drinking big beer glasses full of juice, and marveling at how many of us there were, sitting with silly grins on our faces, the long hot climb a thing of the past. Magic.

All the best
Paul

A well earned refreshment!

 

[trecile]

My first time up Alto de Perdón was a hot day in August, and there was a trailer at the top offering snacks and the most delicious orange juice that I have ever had, at least it was the most delicious to a hot and tired pilgrim.

 

[Sirage]

I humbly suggest, perhaps, that one of the joys of travelling is to experience different, and often better, foods. Occasionally they become part of your normal life back at home.

In this case whole oranges are vastly superior to fruit juice.

 

[Walkerooni]

Oh, the fresh orange juice! One of my favourite memories of the Camino! Expensive? Really? If someone from North America got a Starbucks coffee a few times a week it would cost more! As a non-coffee drinker, the orange juice was the biggest and best treat I looked forward to, and the biggest thing I missed after coming home.

 

[WestKirsty]

And it's not just bars and restaurants! You can also use a machine to freshly press your own bottle of OJ in some supermarkets. I know Mercadona shops have this in the fruit/veg section (I'm a regular!) and I'm sure I've seen them in other chains as well. More often found in the bigger shops so something to look for when you're in the larger cities.

 

[DyanTX]

I was fascinated by those machines as well. While early morning consumption doesn't work for my stomach, I did enjoy a glass occasionally later in the day.
As a retired microbiologist, I was most interested in this article from the US FDA. Just a thought of care for anyone who might be a bit more susceptible to bacterial upsets.
"What You Need to Know About Juice Safety | FDA" https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/what-you-need-know-about-juice-safety

 

[CaptBuddy]

Those machines are wonderful, and should be mandated by governments everywhere.

 

[Tingeling]

Orange juice is heavenly on the Camino.

 

[Becky 59]

On the Frances 3 months ago, fresh OJ averaged about 3-4€. There was a fruit stand after Hospital de Órbigo with a hand press. I loved it so much I bought my own hand press when I got home.

 

[Pilgrim Patricia]

Fresh-squeezed orange juice is ubiquitous in Spain, even in bus and train station cafes, in my experience. Some hotel breakfast rooms have/had self-operated orange juicers which on the surface seems like a good idea. However, three years ago I stayed at a place in Portugal where they had that type of setup in the breakfast room. I was salivating as I walked to the buffet, eager to squeeze some fresh juice. To my dismay I saw another guest remove the part that had all the accumulated pulp, wipe it out with his finger, and then eat the pulp! Yech!! And of course now with the pandemic it makes it even more gag-worthy. Since then my rule is to only have fresh o.j. that is squeezed by a staff member in front of me so I can see if they are observing proper hygiene. Here in Calgary it costs $6.00 for about 10 ounces at La Boulangerie, a pretty good value for our city. In Spain and Portugal I usually paid about $1 to $1.50CDN.

 

[John Ferguson]

This question is getting into the real minutiae I realize, but I'm curious so I thought I'd ask...

Am I correct that fresh squeezed orange juice is a thing on the Camino (Frances)? By that I mean it's available everywhere, and consumed at breakfast/lunch/anytime? Assuming yes, does anyone recall the average cost?

A silly question many of you may think, but where I live (western Canada), a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice is a real luxury, and can easily cost $6++ for a tiny glass.

It's one of my indulgences when I travel in countries where it's more affordable, and given that Spain is famous for at least one variety of orange I'm wondering if fresh squeezed juice is cheap there.

A cup of coffee and glass of fresh squeezed OJ would be a luxurious way to start each day on the Camino!

Yes, it was certainly available of the French Way, AND IT WAS DELISCIUOS. But, I don't recall the price?

 

[TaijiPilgrim]

In 2015 near Mazarife a group- perhaps a local church- had set up a refreshment table for pilgrims. They had a sumo machine and pouring cups as fast as they could. When it was my turn to receive my juice, the fellow handing it to me smiled and said “This is the sunshine of Spain in a glass.”

 

[walkinglover]

This question is getting into the real minutiae I realize, but I'm curious so I thought I'd ask...

Am I correct that fresh squeezed orange juice is a thing on the Camino (Frances)? By that I mean it's available everywhere, and consumed at breakfast/lunch/anytime? Assuming yes, does anyone recall the average cost?

A silly question many of you may think, but where I live (western Canada), a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice is a real luxury, and can easily cost $6++ for a tiny glass.

It's one of my indulgences when I travel in countries where it's more affordable, and given that Spain is famous for at least one variety of orange I'm wondering if fresh squeezed juice is cheap there.

A cup of coffee and glass of fresh squeezed OJ would be a luxurious way to start each day on the Camino!

Yes, the machines they use to make the juice is remarkable.

 

[jungleboy]

Travels in Orange Lands
Orange trees are ubiquitous in southern Spain and Portugal. But the story of how the fruit arrived in the lands of the Camino de Santiago – and why it’s called what it is in many languages – might surprise you.

To add to something mentioned in the article, I saw this sign in a bar window in Lisbon this morning.

 

[jungleboy]

DIY supermarket orange juice prices in Lisbon:

250ml - €1
500ml - €1.95
1L - €2.98

Too bad the orange basket is empty!

 

[David Tallan]

The fresh squeezed orange juice joined a cafe con leche as an essential part of the first stop on the day's walk.

 

[Pilgrim Patricia]

Orange juice in Spain is wonderful, especially the further south you go.

Here’s a story I wrote about oranges (and orange juice) in the Mediterranean once for anyone interested. And for the record, fresh orange juice cost 30 US cents per glass in Morocco in 2007!

Travels in Orange Lands
Orange trees are ubiquitous in southern Spain and Portugal. But the story of how the fruit arrived in the lands of the Camino de Santiago – and why it’s called what it is in many languages – might surprise you.

What an interesting history of the orange! Thank you for sharing!

 

[FourSeasons]

@JustJack Oh my favorite subject, Camino OJ freshly squeezed. Too many glasses to count. Yum. On my second Camino on the Frances I couldn’t wait to stop in Orrison for a glass and a cafe con letche and of course a bocadillo for the road. The large glass pictured was a steal. I don’t recall the price but OJ is cheap in Spain.

On my third Camino stopping during a days walk on the way to Sahagun for a refreshing glass of sunshine.

Also on my third on del Norte a much needed break with an amazing orange.

Here’s a little story, true. After my second Camino I was in my hotel room in Madrid taking a nap. Before I feel asleep I had thoughts of failure, of disappointment regarding the Camino I just walked. I had a dream:
I’m a passenger in a car with a blonde lady driving. I see a bright, bright light ahead coming from the side of the road. I excitedly asked her to pull over. We walked into the light, so bright. I could see a silhouette, who was it? It was Jesus motioning to me with his arm, come, come. I ran faster than ever, saying, crying Jesus, Jesus! As I wrapped my arms around Him he disappeared like a vapor. I kept running beside the blonde lady, who said while smiling, “Come on let’s go get our treasure.” As we approached our treasure, mine was the most beautiful, perfect, excellent, delicious orange I had ever seen, held, tasted. True It was such a powerful dream, just the mere thought of it had me in tears as I flew back home to the U.S. Now, over five years later it still gets to me. I think I’ll go eat/squeeze an orange.

 

[dagreen]

I live in Barcelona, a city that is known to be more expensive than most of Spain. Some cafés here do a breakfast special of a coffee plus a croissant or pastry for 2-3 euros. The addition of an orange juice can move it to around 4 euros. Camino cafés in larger towns and cities can have specials like these for the locals. I do not remember if cafés in villages catering mostly to pilgrims had these specials.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I loved, loved, loved the fresh squeezed orange juice along the Camino and if I saw one of those machines behind the bar, I always purchased one. The color of orange is sooo much brighter than fresh squeezed in my experiences in America on my travels. I typically think I paid approximately €1.20-1.60 in 2015-2019.
I took this photo where the bar owner had allowed me to take my OJ in its glass down the street to enjoy it in a pretty courtyard as he had no outdoor seating on a beatiful day.

Another time at a tienda in someone's home I enquired about fresh OJ. The lady went to the refrigerator, pulled out some oranges and hand squeezed them one at a time on a glass squeezer...a memory I do not forget.