Vagabond : A Hiker's Homage to Rural Spain. This is a travelogue/ adventure book detailing one solo man's journey from Gibraltar to Santiago. It is a mix of places, people, history, food and anecdotal stories along the way. Mark travels light, sleeping in a Hammock mostly and covering 30 to 40 kilometres a day. Very interesting and absorbing. You even get the feel you are journeying with him. Overall a great read.

This was my first travel memoir in a long time and I really enjoyed it. I grew up in Spain and I was interested to see what the author's account would be like, and I really enjoyed it. It was a great way of reconnecting with the country.

A really great adventure/travel book. Mark Eveleigh walks from Gibraltar to Santiago, sleeping in his hammock at night, covering 30-40 kilometers a day one particularly hot summer. I enjoyed the mix of travel, history, encounters with other people, and I liked that it was not a religious pilgrimage, but a sense of adventure that drove him to walk. The book felt very adventurous - and masculine in that sense, there was very little in terms of explanation for the journey, but I personally quite liked that no back story was provided. It was enjoyable to read and I liked that he offers so many anecdotes and stories along the way.

I came here for Spain, hiking adventures and the tips, I stayed for the stories, the sociopolitical and cultural contexts and nuances, and the humanity.

This is my first travel writing book, and initially, I was very reluctant to pick it up (let alone review it). I am delighted that I decided against my initial thoughts and read about the adventures of our solo hiker, Mark Eveleigh.

We follow him from Gibraltar in the south to Estaca de Bares, Spain's northernmost tip, as he attempts a 1225 km hike with only the essentials (his backpack, hammock, water, and some instant coffee sachets). Along the way, he experiences rural Spain, offering a glimpse into everyday life and cultural celebrations like la fiesta de la Virgen de Guadalupe and the seasonal crop of first communions (the Partridge). He sleeps in eucalyptus woodlands, encounters Roman garrisons and ruined fortresses above cornfields, bathes in rivers, and chases a taste of Spanish cuisine—though not very successfully, given the culture of siestas meaning most kitchens are closed when he needs lunch.

What I love about this book is that I felt like I joined the author on his journey. I was lost in the descriptions of beautiful Spain, felt the heat of the relentless sun throughout his trip, and wanted to be part of his endeavor across the Iberian Peninsula. I also enjoyed learning about various Spanish towns and villages, where Eveleigh shares information about the region, legends, and cultural facts.

In short, I definitely recommend this book. It reminded me of the great value of enjoying life and, most importantly, every step of a trip, actively choosing to slow down in a world where fast has become the inescapable default.

Carrying on with my enjoyment of travel memoirs I, having no experience of Spain other than major tourist areas in my teens, was interested in what this ‘hiker’s homage to rural Spain’ had in store

Following the authors daily hike along the 1,225 km route starting at Gibraltar and ending at Spain’s most northerly tip I joined him on an often solitary almost month of history, beauty, off the beaten track homes and cafe’s and generally a peaceful, enjoyable ‘holiday’…….snakes, wolves, mastiff’s and injuries not withstanding, plus the often 40 plus degrees and pure sunshine

It was a look at a Country without the trimmings of tourists/ major tourism and gave a very different look and feel to Spain

The food on the way was not for me, I still shudder at pigs ears and the challenging for anyone pigs underarm that were on the very meaty menus the author found but he took sustenance where and when could and I admired this, the same was true for bathing, water and sleeping where ‘his hammock between 2 trees’ was his abode for the night of preference

I really do enjoy these books and if written well you feel you are experiencing it all yourself ( from the comfort of home of course ) and this book was done well

Very enjoyable