Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. Please dig deep and sponsor me online.

I'm now back from riding my spotted horse Leo to Rome in memory of my mother, Dickie Pares,  who was struck down by Alzheimer's after a lifetime as an independent spirit, and who died 18 months ago. She was a great traveller and writer of horsy books, and I've inherited her itchy feet and her love of words - Leo and I completed our first long journey together in 2002 when we followed the pilgrimage route of the Way of St James from Canterbury to Santiago de Compostela, with my sister, her horse and my husband Peter, and then I wrote a book about the trip.  The scallop shell sewn on my hat in the photo is the emblem of St James.

This time I rode alone although Peter, as before, drove Bessie the elderly Bedford lorry for us to sleep in. It was an amazing trip and the toughest thing I've ever done. We were in the mountains for 500 miles, crossing the Jura, the Alps and then the Appenines, and in Italy the temperature reached 46 degrees with 100% humidity ... only mad horses and Englishwomen went out in that! And there were appalling storms, mosquitoes and lethal horseflies with psychedelic green eyes. But there were amazing highs too, such as finding rare bee orchids growing beside the bicycle route from Givry to Macon; rounding a corner in the Alps to see Mont Blanc rearing up ahead of us; riding round Lucca on the mediaeval city wall, and arriving in Rome (on 18th August) and riding right into St. Peter's Square after a mile tiptoeing down a one way street in the wrong direction! Leo was a star, never flinching at anything from lightning smacking into the ground 100 yards away (which certainly scared me!) to HGVs rumbling past so close they almost touched my stirrup. My husband Peter was also a star, nursing Bessie the Bedford through the Alps and down the other side via 37 hairpin bends, which caused Bessie's brakes to smoke so much that they took 3 hours to cool down! So now I hope lots of you will donate through this site, which is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Alzheimer's Society will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

So please sponsor me now! The distance from Canterbury to Rome, zigzagging through the mountains, was a good 1400 miles and you could, for example, sponsor Leo and me for a penny a mile ... or for as much as you like!

Many thanks for your support.

Mefo