Stage 9 to Puente Duero

24 kms. Travel to the first town, 15 kms, was pretty easy along unpaved farm roads. Valdestillas has 3 streets but they are 2 kms long. Just in time for lunch, steak, eggs and fries. Walking to Puente Duero was hard, up and down on a rocky road.
The Greyhound Story
I see a jeep coming. About 100 meters away, he stops and starts blowing the jeeps horn. Que pasa I say to myself. Then, from different directions come 4 greyhounds. They had been chasing rabbits. He puts each on a leash that is hanging on the jeep. I approach, holding up my picture of Jessie. We have a nice conversation, then he slowly drives away with the greyhounds trotting along beside the jeep

Stage 8 to Alcazaren

18 kms. No towns in between, so just walking, got to town about 1pm. Had lunch at Bar Real. Brazilian pilgrim joined me, Wim and Josette arrived just as I finished. Bought some groceries then went to the alberque. Took the last bottom bunk. Washed some clothes, took a nap. The life of a pilgrim.

Don't mess with the Camino

Alcazaren

Stage 7 to Villeguillo

17 kms. Like a walk in the park, except for the one downhill over a river, then uphill in shoe deep mud. Made it to Villeguillo before the rain.

Beautiful interior of the Church in Coca

Halfway to Sahagun on the

Camino de Madrid

Lunch in the Villeguillo bar

Common room of the Villeguillo alberque

Stage 6 to Nava de la Asuncion

23 kms. Up and down, mostly down but alot of flat. Through a forest the last 10 kms. Rained off and on all day. Staying in hotel tonight.

Dinner last night at the only bar/restaurant in Ane. With 2 pilgrims from Belgium. Made arrangements as dinner not usually served.
Nice alberque (dorm) in Ane, with one room for 4 people, and large room. Pilgrim in background from Slovakia, little Spanish or English, but here he is.

I missed lunch at hotel in Nava de la Asuncion today, it finished at 3:30, I arrived at 3:20 but needed to get dry and a shower. Hotel bar had beer and tapas, a perfect lunch for me. Dinner at hotel at 9pm, if it stops raining I'll try somewhere else. Now for a nap.

Stage 5 to Ane

21 kms. Took me some time to get out of Segovia. Some pictures

Hot air balloons over Segovia

The road goes on

Wild flowers everywhere

Stage 4 to Segovia.

31 kms. First 8 kms all uphill over boulders. Camino part of an old Roman road. The next

A Camino marker.

The rocky start road 

23 kms mostly downhill. While I was eating lunch, the French couple passed me. I passed them later while the were eating. A few casual hikers, then the bike race took up the trail for the last 5 kms. The also took up all the cheap hotels.

Stopped at the first bar in Segovia, had beer and tapas, asked about a hotel. One of the customer got on his phone, made me a reservation, then drove me there. Checked in then went to a washateria and grocery store. Too tired to go to dinner ate bread, cheese and an orange in  my room.

Stage 3 to Cercedilla

19 kms. Except I got lost and did a couple of extra. It rained all morning until about 2pm.
Everything I had on not under the poncho got wet. Stopped at A bar in Navacerrada for lunch and a beer, changed clothes in the restroom. I called and reserved a room in a youth hostel. Got there about 5pm. Nice room, hot shower, dinner at 8 plus a picnic lunch to go. Hung wet clothes up to dry. Since I'm not a youth, charged me double. 50 youth were there, on different sleep schedule than me  used my earplugs.

My room

Walking in the rain

Stage 2 to Manzanares el Real

27 kms. Part of trail up and down a stream bed, mostly dry. Guys in motor cycles setting up for Saturday mountain bike race gave me lunch, tuna on a roll. Had made arrangements to stay with Ray and Rosa. They built a 6-person bunkhouse and cater to pilgrims. A a French couple and the Belgium couple I met in Madrid were there.
Dinner and breakfast are included. Rosa picked me up in town, and Ray gave us a ride back to the Camino in the morning. It stormed all night and the electricity went out.

View from bunkhouse

Stage 1, to Tres Cantos.

Glad I walked 6.3 kilometers  yesterday (about 4 miles 1.6 kms = 1 mile). Today was only 20 kms including getting to hotel.

I could look back and see Madrid most of the way.

And then I could look forward and see where I was going. Those mountains in the far distance, that's for the next two days walk.

This is a waymarker, the best I saw today. Most of the time the mark was just a painted yellow arrow, on a pole, on a building, on the street if paved.

In a hotel tonight. Tomorrow is 27 kms to Manzanares El Real.

My first walking day, in Madrid

Got my first sello (stamp) at the Church Santiago in Madrid.

Beautiful inside.

Then I walked my first 6.3 kms to Plaza de Castilla.

Found the first guiding mark, on a post near McDonald's. Tomorrow I'll take the metro back to this point and walk to the first stop, Tres Cantos.

Out of Dallas

First challenge, get out of Dallas. Cloudy, bumpy. Next challenge, after landing in Ft Lauderdale, get to Miami airport for my Iberia flight to Madrid.

I am ready

Leaving tomorrow for Madrid