New for 2008

Our walks in 2008 are spread widely across the regions of western Europe that we know and love. We are delighted to be repeating two walks in Italy, one in the beautiful island of Sicily which shows off the extraordinary history of this enchanting place and the other in the north of the country near Venice. In France we have a brand new trip which focuses on the dramatic landscape of the Languedoc and in particular the Cathar castles of the region. In Spain we are especially pleased to be walking the pilgrimage route along the Camino de Santiago. Once again Ben Littlewood will be accompanying our Italian walks. Ben pioneered our walk in the Veneto region of Italy, and is equally at home in Sicily where he has been working with Duende Travel for many years. He will join Peter Watson in leading our French and Spanish walks.

The extraordinary breadth of the history of Sicily is well demonstrated in our walk which leads from the Greek foundations of the eastern side of the island to the Phoenician dominated areas of the west. We see remarkable ancient and medieval monuments as well as the stunning classical scenery of the largest island in the Mediterranean - a central stepping stone for every civilization in the western history.

The Veneto is northern Italy as you might imagine it: tall cypresses punctuating an undulating skyline, fertile farmland studded with world-famous architecture, high mountain plateaux of grassy plains with dramatic views to the high Alps. The accommodation is second to none and this is an area noted for fine wines (Amarone, Valpolicella, Soave) and excellent cuisine.

Languedoc is beautiful southern France at its finest. Mountain scenery, vineyards and dramatic villages and castles create spectacular walking scenery for a classic Duende style trip with long full days of walks. The history of this region is a mixture of religious, military and social conflict which combine to form a remarkable story and which generates some most intriguing and enduring legends. Wonderful food and wine.

The Camino de Santiago is a through route across the north of Spain which traverses regions famous for wine (Rioja, Navarre and Ribera del Duero) and food as well as telling the story of one of the greatest roads in Europe which is the history of pilgrimage itself. Monuments of world importance and artistic treasures are to be found in even the smallest of villages. Excellent accommodation.