Day: 1.
Date: Friday 19 May, 2023
From: Madrid To: Tres Cantos
Start Walking: 642am End Walking: 114pm
Time: 6h29m
Distance(Planned): 22km Actual (Garmin): 26.72km
Progress: 27/801km
Terrain: Concrete paths, dirt roads and amazing bike paths.
Ascent: 373m Descent: 303m
Weather: Cool, clear and windy
Stayed At: Parroquia of Santa Teresa de Jesus
General Comments:
- I am not afraid to say that I was nervous this morning setting out. It has been quite a few years since I have undertaken an adventure of the scale and the nerves were showing. I had set the alarm for 6am but was wide awake at 1:30 a.m. and I guess I can’t blame all of that on jetlag.
- It was just me and the garbage trucks and the delivery men this morning as I left my accommodation. Spaniards are not great morning people, but boy can they party long and hard into the night.
- It took the best part of 3.25 hours to get out of Madrid city proper. The walking was not all that pretty, but it was interesting and I made sure to stop and read the signs in the shop windows such as how much does a house cost here in Spain or an overseas holiday.
- I was worried about the complexity of navigating the streets this morning with traffic etc. I had heard horror stories from other walkers saying how complex (and unpleasant unpleasant) it was to get out of the city. In my wisdom I had downloaded the Buen Camino app and it was an absolute gem. I did have paper maps, but the app kept me on the straight and narrow. There was also a surprising amount of official camino signage which I wasn’t expecting at all. So I could put the phone away and just follow the signs in most cases.
- After about 13.5km you leave the hard surfaces of the streets and hit an open area which is not quite forest and not quite farming paddocks. I understand that this area was owned by the King in times of old and was his private hunting ground. Only walkers, bike riders and happy dogs out in the fields today.
- This open landscape was a nice change from the city streets, but there was no avoiding the roar of the freeway and train line. If I wasn’t walking right next to these busy thoroughfares, I was listening to the soundtrack of cars as background music.
- I was overjoyed by the birdsong in the few trees remaining in the fields and was spellbound by some enormous eagles soaring above. I am not sure if they would be from the condor family, but their wing span was huge.
- The legs were getting weary as the kilometres started to add up. Today was the first really serious walk I have done with a fully loaded pack over a sizeable distance. I suspect my body will hate me tomorrow, but there is no rush to get to the destination at the end of each day and I can take my time and just enjoy it all. Once the body stops hurting, that is.
Top Tips:
- As mentioned above, the Buen Camino app is really worth having on your phone. I know it is only Day One, but it seemed to do the trick today.
- Accommodation in Tres Cantos is very expensive, so staying at the Parroquia is the cheapest option going (by donation). It is very basic, but I received a warm welcome. Basically, they have set up blow up mattresses in a Common Room area. There are some basic blankets, a microwave and a small fridge, plus plenty of seating and a table. Please note there are no shower facilities at this place. So it was a bird bath for me. Nice to be joined by a young woman from South Korea who is also walking the Camino Madrid. It is good to have someone to chat to at the end of the day.
- If you wanted to you could stay an extra night in Madrid, leave the bulk of your backpack behind in your accommodation, walk out to Tres Cantos and then return by bus or train back into Madrid at the end of your walk. Next morning, catch the train or bus back to Tres Cantos for your day 2. Another option would be to skip this stage completely as the scenery is nothing out of the box. But I figure when walking a Camino, you have to take the good with the bad.
Buen Camino everyone.
(May I apologise in advance if these posts are not as professional or comprehensive as ‘normal? They are meant to be a snap shot of what I am seeing and experiencing, and at the end of each day, I am pretty buggered and lacking inspiration, and/or attention span. Also, I apologise if I don’t respond to your comments etc quickly. I will do my best to stay up to date.)
Life...one big adventure 
Happy Travels – I will enjoy the ‘as they happen’ posts 😍
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Lovely to hear from you. Hope you are having an amazing time.
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Good luck. Thanks for taking us along with you.
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Many thanks for following the madness!🤪
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Heavens, that came around quickly! Sorry I didn’t drop you a line sooner – I’ve been nursing a cold since getting back from Japan, but that’s no excuse.
Our trip was amazing though I admit we packed so much into every day, it’s a bit hard to remember what we did when – definitely should have kept a journal. We walked 7-8 kms every day and caught numerous trains so I’m very pleased my legs held up! It was a great introduction to the country but I’d like to go back and discover more at a different pace.
I hope you have a wonderful Camino, and I look forward to following your progress 😃
Sue xx
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Thanks Sue. I have been thinking of you and hoping you were having a lovely time. Can’t wait to catch up and hear all about it. Melxx
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Good luck with it! My eldest son is on his third 1000km camino. Hope it’s not too hot for you. Courage!
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Many thanks. I have been starting early in the cool, but it feels like the heater is turned on come 830am. I am hoping that the cool temperatures remain. Which one is your son walking now? This is my fourth so I understand his addiction.😁
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He started from Cadiz, up through Sevilla. It was very hot down there. He would start at 4.
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WOW! That’s some Camino. I did the via de la Plata from Seville in 2014. My favorite camino so far, but I will reserve judgement until I walk into Santiago again. Wishing your son a buen camino and cooler temperatures. Mel
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Thanks he did Norte and Francis one year, with a three month break in between!
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Now, that is a serious addiction! 😉
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Indeed, it’s sometimes fun to be a bit crazy.
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And it definitely helps!😂
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We took the Madrid subway to the most northern station not the train. The pics look familiar. You have some beautiful historic towns ahead of you. Enjoy.
David
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Thanks David. I have been thinking of you both these past few days and your strategy makes sense. It wasn’t the prettiest start to a Camino. Melx
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Exciting!
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Yes, exhausting, but exciting!
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I’m very envious
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Be careful what you wish for! There are some tough climb ahead. 😉
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Enjoy. Not sure I could ever do anything so adventurous and challenging. Loving the poppy fields, quite a lovely sight on your first day.
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Yes, those poppies were a glorious sight after all the concrete of Madrid. And Yes, it is a challenge, but it is just a walk one day, then the next, then the next etc
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Awesome. Buen Camino. Have a fantastic time. I’ll look forward to your posts.
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Thanks Kay. Hopefully I won’t give you itchy feet, but then, that may be a permanent thing?😊
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Yes…permanently got itchy feet. 👣
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I know the problem! 😊
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I think I have the same problem. 🥾🥾
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Absolute admiration for you, Mel. Keep going, you are doing so well x
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Thanks, Suzanne. The adventure is but young and I will soon find my groove. Have a great day. Mel
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You’re finally on a camino! Hurray, you! Good luck and I’m filled with admiration that you are blogging as you travel. You cannot expect that level of professionalism from me. No ma’am.
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Not sure my blogging is professional, more likely a desire to share the madness!🤪 When does your National Lamoon European Vacation commence?
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Am thinking of you every day Mel hoping all is going well. I look forward to reading more. Loved all the photos too.
June.
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Thanks June. I think I am still in the ‘settling in’ stage, but it is all going well so far. Enjoy your visitor this week. Melx
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There’s me thinking you’re playing tourist in Madrid, Mel. Silly me! I didn’t even know there was a Camino Madrid! Call myself a travel writer? Good luck, darlin!
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You do a lot of walking, have you ever considered doing a Camino?
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It’s not too late to join me, Jo!😁
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Back in the day. I’m not really a distance walker and don’t much like roughing it. Full of admiration for those who do but the challenge doesn’t really interest me now. I have been asked 😘❤️
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Oh well, I will just have to eat my cake on my own. 😉🍩🍪🎂🍰
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Fruit cake? I’ll be ever so good and carry your pack for a small portion.
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Actually, I haven’t spotted any fruit cake. I have been too spellbound by the doughnuts and pastries.😁 You are welcome to carry my pack anytime, though you may retract that offer when you see the size of it!😂
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I’ve never been a distance walker and my days of roughing it are definitely over. Even the short St Michael’s Way is beyond my capabilities now.
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😮💨💗
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And no doubt you find much more joy in your garden and photography.
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The garden does give me great pleasure, especially at the moment when my health is not so good.
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I am sorry to hear you are under the weather. I hope all your Spring blooms give you comfort and joy. Take care. Mel
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Thanks, Jo. Yes, the Camino Madrid is not one of the really well-known paths and hence I have only met one other walker so far. It is wonderful to be out in Spanish countryside again. Xx
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🤗💗
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Hi Jo. Loved your latest Roma post, but for some reason the system wouldn’t let me comment. You certainly crammed a lot of history into a short visit! Adios.
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Thanks for letting me know, sweetheart, and for checking in on your travels. Weather ok?
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A bit grey in Segovia this morning, but it won’t stop me getting out and seeing the sites. Have a good day. X
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I had seen already the Camino symbol at many places; on the peninsula of Usedom (Germany), near the city of Sillian, Eastern-Tyrole (Austria) and as well somewhere in Poland. A real network of paths stretching all around of Europe with the same destination. A long long way to Santiago de Campostela.
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Yes, I love looking at the map of Europe showing all the paths leading to Santiago. What a commitment that must have been to walk out your front door at Strasbourg or Brussels or Geneva and walk all the way, and without all the modern gear we have these days.
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Especially without Instagram & Co. in times passed by a real adventure trip revealing a lot of unknown and dangerous threats to the many tough pilgrims.
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Exactly! No apps to keep them on track, no hiking boots and lightweight backpacks.
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I am in complete awe of you walking 800km across Spain alone. How long will it take you? Reading of your first day I do so wish I was with you but I’ll have to content myself with doing the journey vicariously.
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I am planning on 31 walking days and two rest days. That seems like an incredible stretch of time and then it disappears in the blink of an eye. Hope you had a great trip to Japan. Mel
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Wow! Wow! Wow! You are one brave / mad woman. I shall follow your journey, cheering you on every step.
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On the good days, I am brave. On the bad days, I am mad! Although most people I know think I am just mad. 🤦♀️
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There are a few of us in that special group 😉
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😂
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Visited Madrid in the late 90s. Was fun!
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It’s a wonderful city and I hope to return one day.
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YOU ARE IN SPAIN…AND WALKING… that is great. I am thankful to be there in spirit with you. do not worry about responding to my comment. I am also in spirit with my memories from 2019. It was at that time of the year that I was walking my 39 days Camino in France. My book is selling and this is good too. 😉 I get to read the comments of my readers!!! Buen Camino my friend. Wishing you good weather and finding good friends to share this journey ! ♥
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Thanks so much for your good wishes. I am starting to find my Camino groove and will get some more posts uploaded today. Have a great day. Melx
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Oh Mel! You are away. So wonderful to read you post camino musings … no need to apologise they are perfect. Whoo hoo so excited for these to drop in my inbox.
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Thanks so much. Hopefully they may assist any other mad bugger who doesn’t mind a long walk! 😁
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What? Did I miss the start of your Camino? I’ll catch up immediately! It’s always hard to leave a city on foot, but when the dirt roads first appear, everything gets better, right? Enjoy every step – I ‘walk’ with you and am going to enjoy it so much!
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Thanks so much. Glad to have you walking with me.
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Good luck! Thank you for such a compelling description! I’m planning to do the same route in the near future 😁
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That’s great news. It’s very pretty and very quiet.
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