The E4 European Long Distance Trail is a 6,662 mile hiking route that arcs across Europe from Spain to Cyprus. Passing through eleven countries, it crosses diverse landscapes, from high mountains to unending plains, and submerges the traveller in a range of cultures, each with its own language (eight in all), cuisine and history.

Contemplating obstacles such as Mount Olympus and the Pyrenees, I thought the walk might be a bit of a challenge for me in my retirement. Speaking no language but English would not help. Some questioned the sanity of camping and walking alone in strange places, but, undeterred, I made my plans and set off from Tarifa. The man in the outdoors shop told me August was too hot to walk in southern Spain, so I started on the 1st of September. That was my first mistake...