A woman from Kent has set off on a charity horse trek along an ancient pilgrim route through Europe.
Mefo Phillips, from Faversham, is riding her horse Leo from Canterbury to Vatican City, following the route of the Via Francigena.
It passes through France, Switzerland and Italy.
Mrs Phillips hopes to raise £10,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society. Her mother died last year after being diagnosed with the disease.
“Seeing her decline with Alzheimer’s was heartbreaking,” she said.
“I wanted to do something that could help others avoid going through the same thing.”
Archbishop Sigeric
Mrs Phillips left Canterbury Cathedral on Wednesday and aims to complete the 1,200-mile (1,931km) route to Vatican City by July.
The Via Francigena was first documented by a 10th Century Archbishop of Canterbury called Sigeric on his return from Rome.
Mrs Phillips’ husband is driving behind her with a horsebox, although she and Leo will have to pass some of the more remote trails through the Alps without vehicle support.
She wrote a book about a previous pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain and she plans to write about her current journey as well.
Bridlepath 
I am reading Mepo’s first book right now. What a find in a second hand bookstore in Bragg Creek, Alberta, Canada. I shall pass it on to ‘horsey’ friends. I hope to be able to read the next one. Will it be for sale in Canada?