Lisbon, in my view the food capital of the world. Eat at as many restaurants as you can, sample their wines and don’t forget their custard tarts since this is where they were invented – Pasteis de Belem.

Like most things, I did the Camino de Santiago a little differently from others. I went from Tui, on the border of Portugal straight up North to Santiago. I arrived only to find the scale of my map was not going to help me find the trail.

The next day, with a little help from the local people, I found where it began. Rather disappointingly the first part was pretty drab and industrial, but then it passed through small towns, quiet countryside and interesting tracks. I stayed in Albergues where many locals get up early wearing head torches due to lack of street lighting. It was pretty unpleasant having these shone directly into my face, but seeing the sun rise made my early start worthwhile. Since nobody spoke English and my Spanish was not up to conversation levels, it was just me, Nelson Mandella and the Long Road to Freedom, which seemed appropriate.