The widower arrived in Rome yesterday after setting off from Gosport in January determined to cross Europe on foot.

The epic 1,300-mile trek was undertaken as a tribute to Mr Hearnden's wife, Anne, who died in 2005 after a long battle with cancer. And as he approached the steps of St Peter's in the Vatican City all he could think about was his beloved wife.

Speaking from Rome he said: 'It was very emotional. 'All I could see was me and Anne standing there – it brought a flood of memories back and made me realise just how much I miss her.

'It was very hard, but no words can describe the feeling I have about finishing – I am just chuffed to bits that I made it and so glad I did it.

'I wouldn't have missed this experience for the world.'

The mammoth journey took more than a year to plan.

The idea for the trip came after Mr Hearnden, 49, a former audit manager for the MoD, decided to do something in his wife's memory. The pair, of Beauchamp Avenue, Gosport, were due to visit Rome for their 30th wedding anniversary in March 2006 after falling in love with the city on a previous trip.

But Mrs Hearnden died before they could return, aged just 48.

So Mr Hearnden set off to walk it alone – with the hope of raising £50,000 for charity at the same time. Most of the trip he has braved the continent alone, although supportive friends joined him for short stretches.

He said: 'It took a while for what I have achieved to really sink in. I hope now people realise they will start donating.

'It was much harder than I imagined, both physically and emotionally, and some of the roads and routes I took were actually quite dangerous.

'But I had some amazing experiences along the way.'

Mr Hearnden is spending a week in Rome before returning to the UK.

alex.forsyth@thenews.co.uk