A Journey of mist and of mountains

Of soup and of solitude

Of Cathedrals rearing up from the plain and beckoning onwards

In the late summer of 2000, Mark Hoare set out on foot from Le Puy in the French Massif Central. He followed the ancient pilgrimage path to Santiago de Compostela, painting each day and recording the changing seasons, landscapes and buildings along the way. He painted in sun, rain, hail and snow, reaching the most westerly point of mainland Europe during the winter solstice. He had walked 1000 miles over three and a half months.

Beautifully illustrated with copies of the one hundred and thirty paintings Mark produced over the course of this journey, this is a rich and moving account of the remarkable places, people and events which line the path to Santiago, it offers a heartfelt insight into

The experience of pilgrims of the past and present.

Mark's record of this expedition celebrates the precious and ever-changing diversity which exists from one mile to the next across one of the most beautiful and varied landscapes in Europe. It also reveals a personal transformation, as the peace of the pilgrimage steals over him.