About

Hi and welcome to my blog.

My name is Jonathan Dutton. Originally from the UK, I’ve lived and worked all over the world – 15 years in South Korea, as well as periods in Sri Lanka, Sweden, Hong Kong, Japan and the Middle East. I’ve travelled extensively both in Europe and further afield in Asia and Latin America.

I’m now retired and live in south west France with my wife Olivia and our working cocker spaniel, Puzzle.

Over the years I’ve done a fair bit of long distance walking. I first got the walking “bug” when I walked part of Offa’s Dyke Path as a 16 year old in 1980. Over the following years I’ve walked most of the long distance paths in the UK as well as a number in Europe including the Sentier de St Jacques (GR65) in France, the Camino de Santiago in Spain and the Via Francigena, a 2,200km pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome.

Last summer (2023) I walked 550km over a fortnight along the Chemin d’Arles/Via Tolosana, a pilgrim route in the south of France which stretches from Arles on the Mediterranean to the Col de Somport in the Pyrenees.

This year I’m planning another pilgrimage – from Geneva to Le Puy following the Via Gebennensis and then from Le Puy to St Jean Pied de Port in the Pyrenees following the GR65/Chemin de St Jacques. I first walked the GR65 thirty five years ago back in 1989! This time I’m hoping to complete the 1,150km walk in a month. I’ll be setting off from Geneva on 1 May 2024.

GR65 from Geneva to St Jean Pied de Port