I travelled 2,000 miles from Italy to the tip of Spain – on horseback

I had to brave wolves, bitter weather and mountain passes during my epic journey, but it was transformativeBefore riding a horse across the Ligurian Alps in north-west Italy, I had never heard the phrase “in bocca al lupo” (into the wolf’s mouth). An idiom of good luck, in the same vein as saying “break a leg” to a performer, the words passed the lips of almost every stranger I met. As we travelled through these little-known mountains, the message began to take on a whole other meaning: a call to embrace the unknown, wolves and all.I was on an ambitious journey – from Siena in Tuscany roughly 2,000 miles to the north-west tip of Spain at Finisterre, which literally means “the end of the earth”. I thought that a perfect place to finish. The idea came while working in London as a stable boy and (out of work) actor. Restless and desperate for a sense of purpose, I came across a copy of Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes’s 17th-century picaresque adventure. It lit my imagination and a quest began to take shape. Continue reading...

Mar 22, 2025 - 08:37

I travelled 2,000 miles from Italy to the tip of Spain – on horseback

I had to brave wolves, bitter weather and mountain passes during my epic journey, but it was transformative

Before riding a horse across the Ligurian Alps in north-west Italy, I had never heard the phrase “in bocca al lupo” (into the wolf’s mouth). An idiom of good luck, in the same vein as saying “break a leg” to a performer, the words passed the lips of almost every stranger I met. As we travelled through these little-known mountains, the message began to take on a whole other meaning: a call to embrace the unknown, wolves and all.

I was on an ambitious journey – from Siena in Tuscany roughly 2,000 miles to the north-west tip of Spain at Finisterre, which literally means “the end of the earth”. I thought that a perfect place to finish. The idea came while working in London as a stable boy and (out of work) actor. Restless and desperate for a sense of purpose, I came across a copy of Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes’s 17th-century picaresque adventure. It lit my imagination and a quest began to take shape. Continue reading...