A RETIRED aircraft engineer has embarked on a 1,000-year-old pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain to raise money for Jersey Alzheimer’s Society.

David Mezbourian (66) left the south of France on Wednesday and will walk 500 miles to Galicia, north-west Spain, where it is believed that the remains of apostle St James are buried in the cathedral there.

The walk, known as the Way of St James, has been an established pilgrimage for over a millennium with around 70,000 people walking it each year.

Although Mr Mezbourian was reluctant to leave his wife, St Lawrence Constable Deidre, and their daughter Amber (21), he said that he was looking forward to the challenge.

‘It’s going to be an experience I have never had before,’ he said. ‘Most of the time I’ll be by myself but I’ll meet other pilgrims and walk with them. I’m looking forward to meeting all walks of life. I’ll e-mail my wife along the way to let her know how I am getting on.

‘I can’t wait to see all the different types of architecture. I’ll be walking alongside rivers and through medieval villages. It should be very picturesque.’

He had been training hard in the lead-up to the pilgrimage, which he hopes to complete in five or six weeks. ‘Being 66, I have a bit of wear and tear,’ he admitted. ‘I want to walk ten to 15 miles a day. It’s a personal challenge; I will be completely outside my comfort zone.’

Asked why he chose to raise money for Jersey Alzheimer’s Society, Mr Mezbourian said: ‘Alzheimer’s is one of the saddest and cruellest of mental diseases. I am supporting a charity that is fairly low-key, in part because Alzheimer’s still has a bit of stigma attached to it.

‘I know people first hand who have been affected by Alzheimer’s and I want to raise the profile. There are around 1,000 people in Jersey with the disease which means there are at least 1,000 carers too.

‘I am funding the walk myself so any money raised will go directly to the Alzheimer’s Society in Jersey.’

Mr Mezbourian said that anyone wishing to donate should contact Jersey Alzheimer’s Society.