Christopher Lambert, a retired architect, walked on foot from his home in Devon all the way to Rome (catching the ferry on the way). All he had with him was a rucksack, spare pair of socks, sketchpad and a walking stick. The journey took 71 days. Along the way he was taken into working monasteries, he sketched the places and people he saw and even wrote a poem to his feet. You can check out some of his sketches on the website. Take a listen to his fascinating short story. It’s pretty funny and extremely honest.

Travelling a long journey by foot through a fascinating new country is something I’ve always wanted to do… although it would be more fun to do it with one other person.