My Midsummer Morning: Rediscovering a Life of Adventure
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- Author：Alastair Humphreys
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Summary
A Financial Times Summer Book of 2019
Seasoned adventurer Alastair Humphreys pushes himself to his very limits – busking his way across Spain with a violin he can barely play。
In 1935 a young Englishman named Laurie Lee arrived in Spain。 He had never been overseas; had hardly even left the quiet village he grew up in。 His idea was to walk through the country， earning money for food by playing his violin in bars and plazas。
Nearly a century later， the book Laurie Lee wrote – As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning – inspired Alastair Humphreys。 It made him fall in love with Spain – the landscapes and the spirit – and with Laurie's style of travel。 He travelled slow， lived simply， slept on hilltops， relished spontaneity， and loved conversations with the different people he met along the hot and dusty road。
For 15 years， Alastair dreamed of retracing Laurie Lee’s footsteps， but could never get past the hurdle of being distinctly unmusical。 This year， he decided to go anyway。 The journey was his most terrifying yet， risking failure and humiliation every day， and finding himself truly vulnerable to the rhythms of the road and of his own life。 But along the way， he found humility， redemption and triumph。 It was a very good adventure。
Seasoned adventurer Alastair Humphreys pushes himself to his very limits – busking his way across Spain with a violin he can barely play。
In 1935 a young Englishman named Laurie Lee arrived in Spain。 He had never been overseas; had hardly even left the quiet village he grew up in。 His idea was to walk through the country， earning money for food by playing his violin in bars and plazas。
Nearly a century later， the book Laurie Lee wrote – As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning – inspired Alastair Humphreys。 It made him fall in love with Spain – the landscapes and the spirit – and with Laurie's style of travel。 He travelled slow， lived simply， slept on hilltops， relished spontaneity， and loved conversations with the different people he met along the hot and dusty road。
For 15 years， Alastair dreamed of retracing Laurie Lee’s footsteps， but could never get past the hurdle of being distinctly unmusical。 This year， he decided to go anyway。 The journey was his most terrifying yet， risking failure and humiliation every day， and finding himself truly vulnerable to the rhythms of the road and of his own life。 But along the way， he found humility， redemption and triumph。 It was a very good adventure。
Reviews
Kate
，
From 5books。com
Rita Viegas
，
Alastair Humphrey is the definition of an adventurer。 He has cycled around the world， sailed across Oceans and crossed deserts in search of that adventure thrill， the satisfaction to achieve something new。 In this book， however， Alastair struggles with a different kind of quest， how to live a more stable life， how to be present for his family and community without giving up his adventurer side， and his calling to pursue the unknown？ Derived from his concept of microadventures， he states that adv Alastair Humphrey is the definition of an adventurer。 He has cycled around the world， sailed across Oceans and crossed deserts in search of that adventure thrill， the satisfaction to achieve something new。 In this book， however， Alastair struggles with a different kind of quest， how to live a more stable life， how to be present for his family and community without giving up his adventurer side， and his calling to pursue the unknown？ Derived from his concept of microadventures， he states that adventures don’t need to be expensive or complex to organize， but that we can and should be creative in finding ways to challenge ourselves and live a well-enjoyed life。 With this philosophy in mind， he sets himself to learn the violin in just a few months and hike around Spain surviving on the money he earns by busking only。 In a very humble and honest way， he talks about the fears of putting ourselves out there and trying something new。“As adults we rarely learn fresh skills or dare ourselves to change direction。 We urge our children to be bold risk-takers， to show grit and open themselves to new experiences。 We encourage them to try new things like musical instruments。 But us grown-ups？ We hide behind the way we’ve always done things。 We become so boring！ Adults are ashamed to be novices， and so we shy away from it。 We draw comfort from being competent， even in narrow and unchanging niches。 So we plateau and settle for the identity we have。 We don’t stretch ourselves because that risks failure and pain。”And about how to really be present and experience life。“I have a tradition before falling asleep on long journeys: I choose my favourite bit of the day， and what I am looking forward to tomorrow （…） It helps me to fall asleep feeling optimistic， for the day’s last conscious thought to be positive before I surrender my brain to its unsupervised night of processing， filing and dreaming。”“I wanted to learn - somewhat late - to enjoy today more than the thought of yesterday or tomorrow。 It was time to recalibrate， to savour all I had rather than mourning what was missing。 Satisfaction comes， literally， from appreciating that you have enough。 Use the hours， don’t count them”A very good and inspiring read that can make you see life in a more enjoyable way， a time and space to be filled with opportunities for micro and macro adventures， as long as you keep yourself open to embrace the new， be it crossing a desert or raising a family。 “For too long I had thought adventure was life。 But actually， life is the adventure。” 。。。more
Sophie
，
A modern day take on Laurie Lee's book with a similar title， this features Humphrey's trek across Spain， earning his living by playing the violin which he has only been learning for one month。 There is not much about the places visited or people of the country。 A lot of it is Humphreys' reflections on balancing family life with his longing for adventure。 I personally didn't gain anything from these reflections but others may。 There is just one quote I like: "This is just one day of my life but e A modern day take on Laurie Lee's book with a similar title， this features Humphrey's trek across Spain， earning his living by playing the violin which he has only been learning for one month。 There is not much about the places visited or people of the country。 A lot of it is Humphreys' reflections on balancing family life with his longing for adventure。 I personally didn't gain anything from these reflections but others may。 There is just one quote I like: "This is just one day of my life but every day to come will depend fractionally upon what I do today。 I must live it as vividly as I can bear to do。" The chapters are short so that's something if you have problems concentrating and it's easy going。 The chapters also actually have titles which is good and seems to be a rare thing in books these days！ There wasn't really much of interest despite the original premise sounding promising。 Overall would not recommend， unfortunately。Narration by Humphreys himself was fine/pretty good。2-3 stars 。。。more
Jamie
，
As a 16 year old or thereabouts， I first heard Alastair speak at the Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival and he absolutely blew me away。 I had maybe heard of someone cycling round the world before， but I'd never heard of someone who spent four years doing it。 When I thought of 'adventurers'， the likes of Ranulph Fiennes and Captain Scott came to mind - fantastic stories but unrelatable。 The man in front of me seemed， more or less， completely normal。 And he'd done all of this amazing stuff， some of As a 16 year old or thereabouts， I first heard Alastair speak at the Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival and he absolutely blew me away。 I had maybe heard of someone cycling round the world before， but I'd never heard of someone who spent four years doing it。 When I thought of 'adventurers'， the likes of Ranulph Fiennes and Captain Scott came to mind - fantastic stories but unrelatable。 The man in front of me seemed， more or less， completely normal。 And he'd done all of this amazing stuff， some of it pretty bonkers， but what a life to look back on。 'My Midsummer Morning' is the book from Alastair that I've been wanting to read for sometime。 It's brutally honest， deeply personal and messy - it is all things human。 Behind the amazing journeys， the charismatic talks， the films and books， there's just an ordinary person （albeit doing extra-ordinary things） and the book's potency is through Alastair's unblinking， and at times uncomfortable， honesty。 It is both hilarious and sad， and as a text is his best writing yet。 One thing that struck me - and that he's good at talking about generally - is his sense of selfishness and guilt for leading the life that he does。 In 'My Midsummer Morning'， he very openly explores it。 However， as someone who has followed his work over the years， I hope he realises how many people and lives he has had a positive effect on。 It's his knack; to be endearing， relatable and inspiring。 This， to me， feels like an incredibly unselfish act。 Perhaps the guilt he feels in his day-to-day life is sometimes justified， but I couldn't help feeling that a little self-kindness may be needed and that credit is due where it is due。 I am now nearly 24 and I still haven't cycled to India yet。 But Alastair has made me bloody want to。 。。。more
Iain Hamill
，
Always enjoy reading Humphreys， he's got a great talent and a keen eye for intriguing detail。 Would love to chat to him over a coffee， there were a few paragraphs where he seemed to be very humbly and honestly grasping for the bigger meaning to life， and yet not quite getting it。 The biggest adventure of all seems to lie just outside of reach。 Always enjoy reading Humphreys， he's got a great talent and a keen eye for intriguing detail。 Would love to chat to him over a coffee， there were a few paragraphs where he seemed to be very humbly and honestly grasping for the bigger meaning to life， and yet not quite getting it。 The biggest adventure of all seems to lie just outside of reach。 。。。more
Suni Belliure
，
One of the best travel books I have ever read。 Amazingly， it's not in a remote place nor the author survives extreme dangers。。。 and yet， not being what ordinary readers of travel books expect， I think what it's written here is authentic adventure: how to become a good father， how to lead both a happy， meaningful family life and a life of adventure， and how to endure being out of your comfort zone by （poorly） playing the violin in public！ Brilliant， honest and brave。 Congratulations， Alastair！ One of the best travel books I have ever read。 Amazingly， it's not in a remote place nor the author survives extreme dangers。。。 and yet， not being what ordinary readers of travel books expect， I think what it's written here is authentic adventure: how to become a good father， how to lead both a happy， meaningful family life and a life of adventure， and how to endure being out of your comfort zone by （poorly） playing the violin in public！ Brilliant， honest and brave。 Congratulations， Alastair！ 。。。more
Wesley
，
I always enjoy Alastair's writing and maybe even more， I like listening to him reading his books。 This story however， I don't think is worth telling to the general public。 I simply don't think it's interesting enough and the part where he tries to find himself again is just a very small backstory。As a reader/listener there is no anticipation。 No real reason to turn the page。 I finished the book because I like his humor。 Those small moments where he tries to be Messi kicking a cherry pit。 Those m I always enjoy Alastair's writing and maybe even more， I like listening to him reading his books。 This story however， I don't think is worth telling to the general public。 I simply don't think it's interesting enough and the part where he tries to find himself again is just a very small backstory。As a reader/listener there is no anticipation。 No real reason to turn the page。 I finished the book because I like his humor。 Those small moments where he tries to be Messi kicking a cherry pit。 Those moments made me chuckle and there are plenty。 But the story doesn't really resonate。 And although I don't want to come over to negatively I sometimes had the feeling that this book was the result of the need to publish at least something。 。。。more
Bob Jamieson
，
I often don't get along with adventure/travel books， but this was surprisingly enjoyable。The subtitle could just as easily read "How I took steps towards being less of an asshole"。 Humphreys is refreshingly honest about the privilege of his life and the inherent problems of being insistent about "adventuring" at the cost of having a family。 He really bares it all - including the ugly parts - and for that I can't help but respect him。 Admitting that one some level he was angry at his family for s I often don't get along with adventure/travel books， but this was surprisingly enjoyable。The subtitle could just as easily read "How I took steps towards being less of an asshole"。 Humphreys is refreshingly honest about the privilege of his life and the inherent problems of being insistent about "adventuring" at the cost of having a family。 He really bares it all - including the ugly parts - and for that I can't help but respect him。 Admitting that one some level he was angry at his family for stopping his life of adventure takes a lot of courage to admit， when it's such an unpleasant instinct to have。 You don't often see real personal growth in these kinds of books。Some parts of it he's only most of the way there - he acknowledges the inherent problematic nature of a privileged white guy bumming his way across the country looking for charity - but he still does it。 I'm not sure how I ultimately feel about it， on the one hand he did at least make the effort of busking rather than just begpacking， but it's still awkward。 I'm not convinced he quite gets all the way to a satisfying conclusion about it， but at least he acknowledges it。 Similarly， with the adventure/family theme， he sort of gets to a point where he can have both， but only lightly acknowledges the burden he places upon others to do it - he was still away for a month leaving his wife to look after the kids。 It may not be Antarctica， but it's still a month away from home。 He still picked adventure over the school run to some extent。 A complicated family compromise to reach， and not one I'd really feel comfortable prying into （except that by putting it into the book Humphreys does put it out there）。It's an interesting book， and at least has some stuff worth talking about （which is head and shoulders above most of the rest of this genre）。 。。。more
Richard
，
I enjoyed MMM as I like nearly all travel stories。 The problem for me was that in his journey not much really happened that justified a book and it inevitably compares unfavourably with the Laurie Lee book that Alastair Humphreys was inspired by。 Still， he writes well and it is a nice， easy read。
Thomas
，
Always worth reading Alastair Humphries and this is an easy and enjoyable book， with plenty of helpful nudges to leave your comfort zone and live more adventurously。 It was much more nostalgic and honest than his previous and I am unconvinced that he has entirely succeeded in achieving a healthy balance between family life and wanderlust。
Graham Edwards
，
A great read。I found Alastair's honesty about his midlife crisis quite humbling。 His prose make easy reading and brought back memories of my own walking holidays in Spain。 A most enjoyable book 。 A great read。I found Alastair's honesty about his midlife crisis quite humbling。 His prose make easy reading and brought back memories of my own walking holidays in Spain。 A most enjoyable book 。 。。。more
Sloane Mayberry
，
Enjoyed this soul searching adventure read。 Now I know what "busking" is; talk about facing your fears！ Added bonus that this guy is a marathoner and threw in some of his running obsession as well。 Lots of honesty about parenting and marriage。 I loved how he gave back at the end。。。but you have to read it to find out how！ Enjoyed this soul searching adventure read。 Now I know what "busking" is; talk about facing your fears！ Added bonus that this guy is a marathoner and threw in some of his running obsession as well。 Lots of honesty about parenting and marriage。 I loved how he gave back at the end。。。but you have to read it to find out how！ 。。。more
Sarah
，
Well， I finished it despite reservations。 It kept me engaged enough for that then。He came across as simultaneously self-flagellating and self-aggrandizing。 Not a great mix。 I ended up thinking he was a bit of a selfish twerp， who should， frankly just grow up and be a man。 Sort of think he wanted to have his cake （his family and children） and to eat it （his travelling）。 Other people do both without whining， to be honest。Also， his "adventure" just wasn't that interesting/exciting。 So he busked acr Well， I finished it despite reservations。 It kept me engaged enough for that then。He came across as simultaneously self-flagellating and self-aggrandizing。 Not a great mix。 I ended up thinking he was a bit of a selfish twerp， who should， frankly just grow up and be a man。 Sort of think he wanted to have his cake （his family and children） and to eat it （his travelling）。 Other people do both without whining， to be honest。Also， his "adventure" just wasn't that interesting/exciting。 So he busked across Spain。 Meh。 If you want adventure read Alice Morrison book like Adventures in Morocco。 。。。more
Deb
，
I enjoyed Alistair’s book following the steps Laurie took in ‘My Midsummer Morning’ 。 It was an enjoyable read。 Would have liked it to have been more about the walk itself instead of his reflections of wether he should have been doing the walk or spending more quality time with his family， but overall a good read。
Ujjwal
，
Enjoyable and inspiring read throughout。 The book is about the author striving to rediscover life with the adventure of walking a long distance in the countryside of Spain and supporting himself financially only through busking。 This book will definitely inspire readers to go outdoors and explore but at the same time， it strives to teach the true meaning of adventure， to be a good person， and to live a fulfilling life。 There are quite a few quotes that resonated with me。"When you travel， the wor Enjoyable and inspiring read throughout。 The book is about the author striving to rediscover life with the adventure of walking a long distance in the countryside of Spain and supporting himself financially only through busking。 This book will definitely inspire readers to go outdoors and explore but at the same time， it strives to teach the true meaning of adventure， to be a good person， and to live a fulfilling life。 There are quite a few quotes that resonated with me。"When you travel， the world comes real and three-dimensional， impossibly vivid""The life that I could still live， I should live and the thoughts that I could still think， I should think""I am more at peace with myself and the world when I spend an extended period outdoors""It is easy to begin but hard to stick at， which is why I respect anyone who has completed a long hike。 You learn a lot， someone， by hiking in the hills""I now believe there is something even more important than striving for the remarkable。 And that is to stop dreaming about an adventure of a lifetime， and instead pursue a lifetime of living adventure through a daily pledge to push myself a little， scare myself now and then and remain curious" 。。。more
David Stubblefield
，
“We should feel no shame in wearing our golden scars with pride。” My favorite line from a wonderful book that is very much worth getting and reading。
Judith Schuepfer-Griffin
，
A wonderful book！ Full of honesty， vulnerability and wisdom。 Al realised on this journey that not everything has to be as hard as possible， and that it's okay to be kind to ourselves。 Basically， that life， and travelling， is about quality， not quantity。 Thanks Al， I've really enjoyed this book; truly a good read。 A wonderful book！ Full of honesty， vulnerability and wisdom。 Al realised on this journey that not everything has to be as hard as possible， and that it's okay to be kind to ourselves。 Basically， that life， and travelling， is about quality， not quantity。 Thanks Al， I've really enjoyed this book; truly a good read。 。。。more
Charlie Mijatovic
，
I completed this is under 24hours。 I just couldn't get enough of it！ It's a wonderful tale of finding one's self， abilities， and joy in the simple things。 More than just a book on walking， it's a book about learning what courage you have， overcoming depression （and the guilt that comes with it） and the true value of family。 An utter joy that I will definitely read again。 I completed this is under 24hours。 I just couldn't get enough of it！ It's a wonderful tale of finding one's self， abilities， and joy in the simple things。 More than just a book on walking， it's a book about learning what courage you have， overcoming depression （and the guilt that comes with it） and the true value of family。 An utter joy that I will definitely read again。 。。。more
Raquel Coelho
，
Great adventure with lots of good service and reflections about the challenges of travelling alone on a shoe string！
Bryant
，
Such a wonderful adventure book。 Certainly by my standards busking across Spain is an Epic adventure。 However it’s is also something I could theoretically do。 Which made it relatable。 The best part was Alastairs thoughts on a changing life。 Of going from an adventurer to the adventure of being a husband and a dad。 His struggles with his daily life in England not meeting that desire he has for adventure and realizing his idea of adventure needed to change。 “。。。stop dreaming about an ‘adventure of Such a wonderful adventure book。 Certainly by my standards busking across Spain is an Epic adventure。 However it’s is also something I could theoretically do。 Which made it relatable。 The best part was Alastairs thoughts on a changing life。 Of going from an adventurer to the adventure of being a husband and a dad。 His struggles with his daily life in England not meeting that desire he has for adventure and realizing his idea of adventure needed to change。 “。。。stop dreaming about an ‘adventure of a lifetime’， and instead pursue a lifetime of living adventurously through a daily pledge to push myself a little， scare myself now and then， and remain curious。” 。。。more
Shelley Lawson
，
Enormously enjoyable account of his journey， but more importantly a very honest and raw account of a young family man growing up， adjusting to the pressures of family life （whilst temporarily running away！）。 Alastair comes across as a thoughtful， open and interesting individual。 There's something for all of us to learn from his story。The book also prompted me to read Laurie Lee's As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning， as a companion book。 The pair compliment each other perfectly。 Enormously enjoyable account of his journey， but more importantly a very honest and raw account of a young family man growing up， adjusting to the pressures of family life （whilst temporarily running away！）。 Alastair comes across as a thoughtful， open and interesting individual。 There's something for all of us to learn from his story。The book also prompted me to read Laurie Lee's As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning， as a companion book。 The pair compliment each other perfectly。 。。。more
James Miller
，
Humphreys' book is a strange mixture of adventure/journey and in a sense a sad but necessary farewell to the adventuring spirit （or perhaps an evolution of it）。 The Humphreys of the Moods Of Future Joys and Thunder Sunshine was always a bit concerned that abandoning a girlfriend for a journey might have been an error， but the Humphreys in this seems a really tormented soul coming to terms with the fact that children really stymie the lifestyle he lived。 As he does in several of his books， I ofte Humphreys' book is a strange mixture of adventure/journey and in a sense a sad but necessary farewell to the adventuring spirit （or perhaps an evolution of it）。 The Humphreys of the Moods Of Future Joys and Thunder Sunshine was always a bit concerned that abandoning a girlfriend for a journey might have been an error， but the Humphreys in this seems a really tormented soul coming to terms with the fact that children really stymie the lifestyle he lived。 As he does in several of his books， I often see texts and ideas through the lens of poetry and I was constantly reminded of Cavafy's poem The City on the futility of fleeing from place when the problems are your own: The CityYou said: “I’ll go to some other land， I’ll go to some other sea。There’s bound to be another city that’s better by far。My every effort has been illfated from the start;my heart—like something dead—lies buried away;How long will my mind endure this slow decay？Wherever I look， wherever I cast my eyes，I see all round me the black rubble of my lifewhere I’ve spent so many ruined and wasted years。”You’ll find no new places， you won’t find other shores。The city will follow you。 The streets in which you pacewill be the same， you’ll haunt the same familiar places，and inside those same houses you’ll grow old。You’ll always end up in this city。 Don’t bother to hopefor a ship， a route， to take you somewhere else; they don’t exist。Just as you’ve destroyed your life， here in thissmall corner， so you’ve wasted it through all the world。The Complete Poems of C。P。 CavafyI was glad he seemed to have finished more at peace with himself and more Eliot:We shall not cease from explorationAnd the end of all our exploringWill be to arrive where we startedAnd know the place for the first time。 。。。more
Ben
，
The writing is more mature than "Thunder Sunshine。" It is more expressive and sounds better。 But some of the fun of the other book was its brashness。 Is busking across Spain a gimmick？ Sure， but so are most of what society agrees to call "adventures。" To me， Humphreys's life-changing epiphanies at the end rang more false than the initial gimmick。 As Humphreys himself admits， the trip was disappointingly uneventful。 Things worked out well， without any crises。 He doesn't meet too many interesting The writing is more mature than "Thunder Sunshine。" It is more expressive and sounds better。 But some of the fun of the other book was its brashness。 Is busking across Spain a gimmick？ Sure， but so are most of what society agrees to call "adventures。" To me， Humphreys's life-changing epiphanies at the end rang more false than the initial gimmick。 As Humphreys himself admits， the trip was disappointingly uneventful。 Things worked out well， without any crises。 He doesn't meet too many interesting people， and this is partly deliberate。 He avoids social interactions because without any money he can't pay his share （for drinks， a restaurant， etc。）。Every travel book has to find a balance of content between day-to-day descriptions of what was done， descriptions of the places， anecdotal interactions with locals， as well as the author's thought at the time， and before and after。 After a promising start， I thought this book fell over into too many of the author's thoughts about adventure， family， life。 It isn't bad， but this could have been written anywhere and doesn't need the "adventure。" And this kind of self-indulgent content seems like a better fit for a blog than for a book。 It gets better again toward the end。 > A daily stipend would have diluted everything。 The insecurity of needing to busk was what made the journey。 Had I carried a cushion of money， the music would have become nothing but a game or an affectation。 Instead， it was my work， and it was critical。 That made all the difference。 I earned these coins。 By the sweat of my face， I earned this bread。 I earned these miles。> Because I had no money I had pretended that I wanted to rest rather than go out。 But Marcos had insisted。 "I want you to meet my friends。 Don't worry: I am buying the beer"> I was trying to stop running away and choosing instead to head somewhere worth walking towards。 I was learning to grapple with an adult life full of compromise。 I saw my situation with more gratitude now: I had a home， rewarding work， enough money， and the two best kids in the world。 From faraway Spain， I could look at my ordinary life with the sense of wonder I used to reserve for waking on a mountaintop in a distant land。> There， in front of me， a viper basked on the footpath。 It was the colour of summer dust， with a stark， dark zigzag， and orange eyes。 I admired the sinuous movement as it smoothly retreated from me。 I admired my calmness for not panicking。 Then， rounding the next corner， I saw a curved stick lying on the path and jumped out of my skin。> For too long I had thought adventure was life。 But， actually， life is the adventure。 。。。more
Christine
，
I've read all of Alastair's adventure books， and this one has to be my favorite by far。 Well written。 I've read all of Alastair's adventure books， and this one has to be my favorite by far。 Well written。 。。。more
Amanda Zito
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 An interesting read， I liked that he's admitting that family can be just as important as international adventures， but I didn't feel as connected to his experiences as I did in his round the world bike trip book。 Still a good read。 An interesting read， I liked that he's admitting that family can be just as important as international adventures， but I didn't feel as connected to his experiences as I did in his round the world bike trip book。 Still a good read。 。。。more
Paul
，
In the mid-1930s a young man called Laurie Lee arrived in Spain。 For most of his life， he had not been out of the village of Slad where he grew up。 He had worked for a while in London， but this new country was a revelation。 He walked across the country playing his violin to earn a little money to enable him to eat。Humphreys is an adventurer who has been around the world on a bike （as written about in Moods Of Future Joys and Thunder and Sunshine）， crossed seas and deserts and many other things。 In the mid-1930s a young man called Laurie Lee arrived in Spain。 For most of his life， he had not been out of the village of Slad where he grew up。 He had worked for a while in London， but this new country was a revelation。 He walked across the country playing his violin to earn a little money to enable him to eat。Humphreys is an adventurer who has been around the world on a bike （as written about in Moods Of Future Joys and Thunder and Sunshine）， crossed seas and deserts and many other things。 He has also pioneered the micro-adventure， which is a small and cheap adventure that still pushes your boundaries and get you out into the wider world。 But since getting married， having kids and ending up with something that he never would get， a mortgage， he was missing the challenge of something bigger。Lee’s simple travel has long inspired others， including Alastair， and he had the idea of doing a modern-day version of the same trip discovering inland Spain and sleeping out under the stars。 But he needed a violin first。 Oh， and more importantly， some lessons to be able to play it and earn some money。 He finds a teacher online who declares her musical inspiration to be heavy metal and classical and heads to a music shop and buys the cheapest instrument that he can find。 Arriving for his first lesson he discovers an Australian lady who has a very different life to his， he has seven months to learn how to play。 The first screeches send shivers down his spine; it was then it dawned on him that he might not earn enough to eat！A few months later Humphreys was sitting on the harbour wall in the port of Vigo， in northwest Spain。 It was time for the adventure to begin。 He left his small pile of change on the bench to ensure that he knew he was starting with absolutely nothing as he began his walk。 Later on that day he would hopefully earn the first money of his walk…This is the fourth of Humphreys books that I have read now and like all of his others， it is an enjoyable read。 He finds the Spanish people warm and generous and falls in love with the country。 He swims in rivers， suffers the heat of the day， helps a postman deliver letters in exchange for a lift as he wanders from the coast to Madrid before heading south。 I liked the way he links his trip back to Lee’s journey AS I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning。 The Spain that Humphreys is walking through though is a very different country than that of the 1930s which was teetering on the brink of a civil war。It is not a superhuman effort like his cycle trip， but he does push his own boundaries by playing the violin to earn his keep。 He thinks the world of his wife and children， but this book and walk is as much about his need to be out there doing something。 Getting that balance between responsibility and adventure is very difficult and he is striving to find that in here。 I must admit that I have resisted the temptation to go and watch the videos of Humphreys playing his violin though… 。。。more
Roger M
，
A thought provoking angle on the struggle between our yearning for adventure and something else as opposed to what we have available to us in our everyday lives。 The author exposes his vulnerability and gains respect and strength from it。 A journey into the human condition。
Martyn Legg
，
A rather tedious account of self-inflicted poverty and self-centeredness。 Struggled to finish it。。。
Julia Doherty
，
I loved this book！ It was funny， heartwarming and above all， it was a very honest read。 The way Alastair talks about his home life and his feelings towards feeling a bit suffocated in life is something that most adventurers experience， but would never vocalise。 I love Spain and I felt that I was right there with him on the journey。 A good read。
Anthony Frobisher
，