From one extreme to another

From Genoa to Gibraltar there are very few “unspoilt” parts of the coast of Europe. I was lucky to enjoy the Camargue, the Ebre Delta and Cabo de Gata, but otherwise most of the countryside is covered in plastic, and most of the coast is covered in property.

But once you join the Atlantic, there is what you might call a “sea change”. It’s not exactly wilderness, but everything is more wild, natural and dramatic. Settlements have more character. The balance between man and nature is more wholesome.

And the extremes are really extreme. Within a few days I stood on the southernmost and westernmost points of mainland Europe. From Tarifa (Spain) you can clearly see the mountains of Morrocco, and from Peniche (Portugal) you can see New York, almost.