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

Sahagun to Santiago

The route from Sahagun to Santiago. About two weeks, 200 miles.