New Guide to the Route from Madrid to Sahagún now available

[JohnnieWalker]

The Confraternity of St James has today published the new Guide and it is available to download
(for a donation) from:

http://www.csj.org.uk/guides-online.htm

Many thanks to all Forum users who contribute to this Guide and those who will help to improve it in future by sending in any new information which is always most welcome.

Best wishes

John

Stranded happily for the moment in sunny Santiago

 

[Peter Robins]

good on yer, John! The publications page also needs to be updated http://www.csj.org.uk/acatalog/The_CSJ_ ... in_23.html

Stranded happily for the moment in sunny Santiago

you'll have to walk home

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Stranded happily for the moment in sunny Santiago

you'll have to walk home

He will indeed. There must have been pilgrims who walked back from Santiago to Canterbury, so John can take notes and produce a booklet. And finally he will have to swim across the Channel as all the ferries will be full. :shock: Is your swimming as good as your walking John?
Margaret

 

[andy.d]

He's waiting for a stone boat

 

[Canuck]

I thought he could walk on water... :mrgreen:

Jean-Marc

 

[lynnejohn]

Great job on the Madrid guide, John! Thanks!

I can't think of a better place to be stranded than Santiago. Enjoy.

lynne

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Walk home...stone boats...swimming the channel ...walking on water...what are you lot like?

Alas I may have to go home on Thursday when I have a flight as the situation seems to be easing... but I´ll be back on 10th May

 

[andy.d]

I've just seen on the BBC that the Government are sending HMS Albion to pick up Brits stranded in Spain. Is this your taxi John?

 

[LNata]

Johnnie,

The guide of Madrid Camino (at least the one I had) tells that "Here there is a footbridge into Tres Cantos (modern industrial town, Holiday Inn Express Tres Cantos*** and all facilities). If you wish to visit Tres Cantos you must cross the autovia at this footbridge and return the same way, as the next footbridge is 3k ahead and off the camino."

Since I was staying in Tres Cantos for overnight, I crossed the first bridge. It also has some arrows on it and on the road leading to it. From the bridge one also can see signs for autovia exit to Tres Cantos (but it is ahead, it is an exit from autovia and it is not for pedestrians as too dangerous). The road goes between some garden and cemetery for a few kilometers and does NOT lead to Tres Cantos but around it. I was walking for a couple kilometers and then turned and walked almost all way back, asked people at cemetery and one guy give me a ride to my hotel which was was near railway station. Next day I decided to cross autovia by the closest bridge (second in Tres Cantos) and walk back until I see the arrows. To my surprise, there were yellow arrows on this bridge as well (it was not pedestrian, but car bridge with pedestrian sidewalk, though one more pedestrian bridge is near as well). And immediately after it, was the Camino.

So, the point is. To stay in Tres Cantos or to use train station to come back in Madrid, one has to cross not the first bridge, but second. The one which is near Siemens factory and some big building with many flags near it.

May be it can be useful for someone.
Natalia.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Yes it will and I will make this clear in the Guide.

Thank you.

John

 

[LNata]

Yep, I also have a few photos of mountains with snow on them. Not much snow, but I did not expect to see snow in Spain in May

Also, I think the one more bit of information which can be useful. There is no albergue in Segovia anymore. I was told that there is still some cheap accommodation similar to albergue but it is a couple of kilometers out of town and away from Camino (thought there is a shortcut to Camino so one would not need to go all the way back to Segovia). As soon as I have seen aqueduct, I was following it (forgot about rain, backpack, etc... was just walking in amazement) to the square (Plaza del Azoguejo), where a tourist information office is located. One can get cello in the Tourist Information Office as well, not only at the Cathedral. And what is more important, there is a list of accommodations with prices and contact phone numbers available in the office and one of the ladies working there has called to different places to ask if they have free rooms.

I have got a double room for single use at a pension just next street to the square and have paid 20 euro (I do not speak Spanish but I could catch from the talk that the lady was telling that I am a pilgrim and asking for special price and that, I believe was price for single room in the pension). That was very good as I could spend some time walking around Segovia and it definitively worth visiting.

 

[gittiharre]

Johnnie this is a great guide, did you walk the route more than once to get all that detail or did you walk it slowly to capture all the info? Fantastic to put all this together. Thank you, Gitti

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Thanks. The online guides are a collective effort. Really they are owned by the pilgrim community and there is no profit. The guides are only as good as the comments and updates pilgrims send in. For this route there was an original guide 10 years out of date, but it had lots of history etc. I walked the route last August and produced a new Guide. Several forum members who know the route edited it and commented and seince then several others have send comments icluding a very helpful e mail from a pilgrim yesterday with a stage by stage diary. So the guides are for pilgrims by pilgrims and are constantly up to date. Voila!

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks for this, John. You've got me thinking --

How's this for a good "next Camino"? Madrid - Sahagun - Leon - Ponferrada and on to Santiago on the Camino de Invierno.

Looks to me like it would be roughly 700 km and not much on the beaten path. All I need now is for Ribeirasacra to make sure all the arrows on the Invierno are in place and pointing in the right direction.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[JohnnieWalker]

ahhhh - now that IS a good idea although slightly counterintuitive walking against the arrows for a while. But is sounds like an epic pilgrimage - may I join you?

 

[peregrina2000]

I would be honored to walk in the presence of Johnnie Walker! I hope you're serious -- L.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Ok - only if you let me buy the first round. Let's talk!

 

[lynnejohn]

Hi Laurie and Johnnie -
This sounds like a very interesting route indeed! Just under 700 km and the best of the Madrid, CF and the VDLP! What a treat! Hope your discussions are successful. It would be great to read the combined accounts of two of our most experienced walkers and prolific writers!

lynne