Romance & adventure

Penny Steven, 69, Amersham, Buckinghamshire

Walking through the forest, dappled sunlight lit the path ahead, shimmering through the leaves of the trees that towered above.

It was May 2015, and I was in Spain, walking the famous Camino de Santiago route, a 500-mile trek, to raise money for my local church.

Usually a couch potato, I preferred home comforts to walking for hours a day in the Spanish countryside.

But at 63, I was heading towards retirement from my teaching assistant job, and I fancied an adventure.

Now, surrounded by this stunning natural backdrop, I didn’t regret my decision.

Then, suddenly,