Day 09: Los Huertos to Santa Maria la Real la Nieve

Date	Jun 17
Today's Distance:	13 miles / 21 km
Route and Stats	Route Video
Total Camino Madrid:	93 miles.
Total All Caminos:	1493 miles
Lodging:	Hostel Avanto @ $ 30
Total Lodging:	$ 236
Buses / Trains:	$ 5
Total Buses / Trains:	$ 23
Food:	$ 20
Total Food:	$ 155

Meaningful Moment

Making it into Santa Maria was a meaningful moment today because we were constantly on the move, minus two short breaks, to get to our endpoint and avoid the heat. It was a different kind of walking today for me. The first four days were hills, where I seemed to do better. The last few days have been flatlands, where Deb is an energizer Bunny and I am constantly walking to keep her in sight.

Random Thought of the Day

This part of the Camino Madrid reminds me so much of the Via de la Plata (Sevilla to Astorga) as it crossed the meseta. In both cases I was in Castile y Leon.

I remember one part where we kept going up a hill; it wasn't very steep but it just kept going up, and we would come to a bend, a slight bend, and yet the hill would just keep going up even more, while all around us, the bright shiny lucent white hayfields were blinding.

In Santa Maria, we went into a bar and both ordered seltzer with ice. Unbelievable how good that bland water can taste when you're thirsty enough.

Because so many places looked the same to me as yesterday ( or perhaps I was just energy-spent), I did not take many / any pictures on the way to Santa Maria.

Tomorrow is another scorcher and then the inferno-wave is supposed to break. We are getting up at 5:00 am so we can start walking at 5:30. Rather than plan a specific stop point, of which we have two, I want to walk to the first and evaluate. The first stop is approx 9 miles and the second stop is approx 14 miles.

In either case it is a municipal albergue which do not take reservations. First come, first served. So far Deb and I have neither seen not heard of any other pilgrims on our portion of the Camino Madrid.

On the Road / Notable memories

Up at 5:30 this mornin for a quick breakfast of leftovers from Ursula's dinner last night, then dressed and out the door by 6:00 a.m. .

Our goal was to beat today's heat which was going to be the hottest so far.

Did not take many pictures today, in fact very few. 

The scenery was mostly hay fields, with some groves and forest thrown in .

We had about an hour and a half without the sun, but as the sun got higher in the sky, the day got progressively hotter.

When we started walking the temperature was 70°. When we reached Santa Maria, the temperature was around 94°.

It must be the heat but I am unbelievably tired today. When we reached plaza Mayor in Santa Maria, we could either walk one mile to the hostel or take a cab. I asked around how to get a taxi and we did. 😃

	Santa Maria Plaza Mayor
	View of the fields around Santa Maria. Panorama
	Photosphere (I can't tell the difference between the two types of images.)

Day 08: Segovia to Los Huertos

Date	Jun 16
Today's Distance:	10 miles / 15 km
Route and Stats	Route Video
Total This Camino:	80 miles.
Total All Caminos:	1480 miles
Lodging:	Munip Albergue @ 5€
Total Lodging:	$202
Buses / Trains:
Total Buses / Trains:	$ 18
Food:	$ 5
Total Food:	$ 135

Meaningful Moment

Ursula, the manager of the municipal hostel, offers to make Spanish tortillas for Deb and I because the only bar in town is closed for renovation, and therefore we have no place to eat. ... Ursula brought us Spanish tortillas, ensalada de patata and watermelon. She is a true Camino angel.

Random Thought of the Day

Because we prepared ahead and were carrying extra food stuff, we avoided a potential disaster of not being able to eat dinner or breakfast. This was a concern before Ursula stepped up to help us.

The transition from Segovia, urban center, to the Spanish Meseta was almost instantaneous. Very quickly it went from housing and business to farm fields as far as the eye could see.

On the Road / Notable memories

When we got to Los huertos, the albergue was closed and City Hall was closed. The situation was looking grim for lodging, because some small towns have permanently closed their municipal albergues. 

A local citizen told me where the lady lived who ran the albergue but she did not answer her door, so it seemed like time to start making emergency arrangements. But as I left City Hall after one more attempt to see if someone was in the office, Ursula who runs the albergue flagged me down and got our accommodations for the night settled.

***

Lying on a bench in a public park in Los huertos, under a cloudy sky and in a refreshing light breeze. The green of the leaves above me and the singing of the birds in the trees makes for such a pleasant ambience. And with my water soaked buff over my eyes, I can actually catch some sleep. Makes the current 95° f temperature bearable.

***

Turns out that there are no stores in town and the only bar is closed for renovation. Deb and I had cold cuts, cheese, yogurts, fruit and power bars in the lunch box but that would have had to last for lunch today and supper tonight and breakfast tomorrow and lunch tomorrow. That would have been seriously stretching it. But Ursula was a Camino angel, and she offered to make Deb and I Spanish tortillas for supper so that will go a long way towards and otherwise very serious calorie deficit.

	Leaving Segovia
	Alcazar, a castle for the king
	Entering the Meseta, the expansive Spanish plains.
	Valseca, our mid-point of the day
	Downtown Valseca
	I don't know why this cross was there.
	Spent two hours on a bench, sleeping in this pretty park in Los Huertos.
	Arroyo in Los Huertos
	Los Huertos
	Supper from our Camino angel, Ursula

Day 07: Segovia

Date	Jun 15
Total This Camino:	70 miles.
Total All Caminos:	1470 miles
Lodging:	Hotel Corregidor @ $ 23
Total Lodging:	$ 196
Buses / Trains:
Total Buses / Trains:	$ 18
Food:	$ 20
Total Food:	$ 130

Meaningful Moment

Touring the Jewish quarter of Segovia with Deb. 

We had a guided tour of the Judería and a description of the times and events of the 14th and 15th centuries. Originally the Muslims, the Jews and the Christians lived together in harmony, but over time religious prejudices led to expulsion and forced conversions. 

Today there is no Jewish population in Segovia. There are significant historical architectural places of interest left in the Jewish quarter, but no population. Although many have been repurposed into Christian buildings.

It was an interesting experience to be on a "pilgrimage" along a Catholic pilgrim route and learning about a significant period of intolerance by the Church.

Random Thought of the Day

Not so random but given the heat wave that is baking Spain right now, Deb and I had a discussion about how to continue our Camino de Madrid .

And after 5 days of high 90 plus Fahrenheit temperatures in the afternoons, with the temperatures breaking 80° usually by 11:00 a.m., it only makes sense to take on smaller stages right now.

We have the time yet that we don't have to rush things in order to have a day or two at the end. So leaving Segovia is a 35 km, or approximately 20 mile day, if one follows the suggested stages.

We have already decided to break that into two stages of approximately 11 mi and 9 mi.

Los Huertos will be our first stay in a municipal albergue which only provide very limited services. Typically bunk beds in a shared dormitory style room with foam mattresses and paper sheets to reduce bed bug spread. The bathrooms will be shared with community sinks and showers. There's no amenities and no services. On the other hand the cost will be about $7 per person per night.

Deb and I visited the Cathedral of Segovia, and it was beautiful inside but I was asking myself about how many cathedrals I have seen now after all my Camino's de Santiago.

On the Road / Notable memories

Just remembered an interesting experience in Colmenar Viejo. On the way into town, we stopped in front of a cemetery to rest. There we were talking with two women about the Camino to Santiago. One of the women mentioned that her husband was going to start it in 3 days from Madrid, but there wasn't much to say since I would never see these people again.

Don't you know as we were walking through the town, one of the women comes running over to us, saying "We met at the cemetery, we met at the cemetery. And this is my husband who's starting to Camino Madrid in 3 days."

So the four of us ended up taking 15 or 20 minutes to laugh and talk and joke and chat and just have some fun there on a street in Colmenar Viejo.

Maria, tour guide whose Spanish was perfect.

Maria was our tour guide through the Jewish quarter. She did tell us that the guide would be in Spanish, but that did not concern us. But what was nice was how perfectly she spoke her Spanish, clearly distinctly and precisely. That was the key to an outstanding tour that we enjoyed. I think my comprehension was somewhere around 95%.

Doing a little better in the heat but have AC.

At our hotel, where we are staying two nights because of the rest day to visit Segovia, I have gotten very used to the air conditioning and I think I will sorely miss it when we return to the Camino. It makes a person wonder how did our ancestors survive these heat waves or cold spells or droughts or whatever natural disaster without all the technologies of today.

	The Roman aqueduct of Segovia, built 2000 years ago by the Romans as they show of force for the empire.
	Segovia actually lies on a river, so the aqueduct was not necessary, but it showed what the empire was capable of in order to have fresh water from the mountains.
	Plaza de Mayor
	Barrio park
	Tinto verano break
	Segovia street view
	Cathedral of Segovia
	Having a drink in Plaza Mayor
	The walled portion of Segovia City
	Jewish quarter

Day 06: Valsain to Segovia

Date	Jun 14
Today's Distance:	10 miles / 16 km
Route and Stats	Route Video
Total This Camino:	70 miles.
Total All Caminos:	1470 miles
Lodging:	Hotel Corregidor @ $ 23
Total Lodging:	$ 173
Buses / Trains:	$
Total Buses / Trains:	$ 18
Food:	$ 25
Total Food:	$ 110

Meaningful Moment

Sharing a cold drink, bought at a local supermarket on the way into Segovia, with Deb on a bench under the shade of a tree.

***

After having all the restaurants last night in Valsaín closed, we started the day with a serious calories deficiency. In fact, we think we've Benning running a calorie deficiency for the entire Camino to date. 

Combine that with temperatures easily breaking 95 every day in the afternoon, having serious hydration issues in the heat, it's no surprise that our bodies felt unusually beat up even for experienced hikers.

So walking around Segovia in the evening, we stumbled across a bar that was open with a Menu del día that sounded delicious. It was early for Spain, only 6:30 p.m., for the kitchen to be open but I asked anyway. And were we surprised that the kitchen was open.

Deb had paella and I had a similar dish only over noodles instead of rice for our first course.

The main entrees were pork and chicken, we got one of each. And for dessert it was flan and ice cream.

I had a really cold cervesa to drink, and it was like heaven.

Then we followed it up with a little walk around Segovia, and ended up in a small park where we went to a little sushi vendor, not for sushi but for more cold drinks. A white wine, a tinto verano, and two more bottles of water LOL.

Random Thought of the Day

Ended up walking along the road for the entire day.

But it was very, very flat.

Halfway thru we crossed over a large reservoir which made for a nice view.

On the Road / Notable memories

Deb and I had some great rest stops along the Camino today.

In the town of Ildofensa, I had coffee con leche and pineapple juice. Deb had a cafe negro and tortilla. After all, we had to make up for there being no restaurants open the night before. 

On the way into Segovia, we stopped in a supermarket for Zambuchas, found a bench with shade and drank up. 

Since it was still not check-in time, we stopped in a restaurant in a plaza, where we had tapas and tortillas. Being unbelievably thirsty, I ordered a coca cola and orange juice and Deb ordered a seltzer and orange juice. 

Each rest stop today was so enjoyable as a simple moment of pleasure.

Roman aqueducts of Segovia, 

built 2000 years ago

Day 05: Cercedilla to Valsain

Date	Jun 13
Today's Distance:	14 miles / 23 km
	Route Video
Total This Camino:	60 miles.
Total All Caminos:	1460 miles
Lodging:	@ $ 40
Total Lodging:	$ 150
Buses / Trains:	$
Total Buses / Trains:	$ 18
Food:	$
Total Food:	$ 85

Meaningful Moment

What is said to be one of the hardest days on the Camino de Madrid is now behind us. Although it took a lot of effort and struggle, we made the climb of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range.

After 5 hours of struggling up 1800 ft of elevation gain, Deb and I made it to Fuente de la Fuenfria. When we made it to that place, we were standing in a pass created by the Romans 2,000 years ago to link the Spanish, that is to say, Roman cities of Merida and Zaragoza.

It was a pretty awesome feeling to realize that where I was standing, that 2000 years ago, Roman legions crossed here.

I can't wrap my head around how the people of two millennia ago  we're surviving in this area and thriving in this area. I wonder what it must have been like for the locals to face the 

P coming Roman invasion and all the changes that would bring to their way of life.

Random Thought of the Day

While we were walking around Valsaín, we came across this beautiful white cat with yellow green eyes just sitting on a dirt path.

Also feeling better than yesterday. Perhaps I had a touch of heat issues from a potential loss of electrolytes, combined with a protein bar that just did not agree with me. In any event, I drank Powerade and water during the hike, along with eating some meats and cheeses and that seemed to be okay.

On the Road / Notable memories

After reaching the summit of the mountain, we had about a 9 mi hike still to the hostel.

It was downhill for quite a way, but then suddenly it was back up hill, climbing and climbing, not as steep as before but certainly just as long.

The day finally ended with a prolonged downhill climb along the road which made it somewhat difficult on the calves.

After 9:00 and 1/2 hours of hiking, when we reached our casa rural in Navelhorno, we discovered that there were zero restaurants open and zero stores open for purchasing foodstuffs. Deb and I were lucky to have some food saved from today's long hike: some cold cuts, some sliced cheese, some flan, some yogurt, some grapes and some power bars. Because that is supper tonight.

However the place had an open pool. What was crazy was how, despite being about 93F,  cold the water was. That did not stop me from going in twice. 

I could live without a restaurant, but I surely needed that pool. Deb put her feet in, and we started to unwind from a most physically demanding day 

	The path started out as pavement at the beginning.
	Then turned into a dirt walking path.
	On the way up the Sierra de Guadarrama
	The land use around the Madrid area is for housing development, farming and ranching. So all the green in this national park was a sight for sore eyes.
	The last third of the trail and the steepest part was rocky. It is very difficult on the feet and knees as there is near constant torsional stressors on the joints.
	And so begins the long descent.
	The trees are mostly pine.
	It was a beautiful day for a walk in the national Park. After this we have mostly farmlands and ranches, all flat, all the way to the end of the Camino de madrid.