A 10-year-old boy has walked 2,800 kilometres from Sicily, an Italian region to London, UK, so that he could give his grandmother a hug during the lockdown. Romeo Cox set off from Palermo in Sicily on June 20 along with his father Phil.
The duo walked through Italy, Switzerland, France and the United Kingdom. They reached the UK on September 21 and are isolating before meeting Romeo’s grandma.
During the long journey, they encountered feral dogs and wasps and even tamed a wild donkey. Romeo says that all that they’ve through in the last three months will be all worth it as he’ll get to hug his grandmother.
“We got lost a few times. We slept under a wasp nest which wasn’t a good idea, got bloody feet, but we never thought about giving up. As we got closer I just kept thinking about seeing my Granny, and how excited I was. I can’t wait to give her a cuddle, it’s been over a year since I last saw her. She was all alone during the lockdown. I’m feeling tired now – like an old 100-year-old man – but it was so fun,” the boy was quoted as saying by LADbible.
The walk also helped Romeo raise more than £12,000 (Rs 11.4 lakh) for charity Refugee Education Across Conflicts.
Since there were no planes to the UK in June, Romeo considered walking. “Even after quarantine, I thought walking might be a new experience. I asked my parents and they said no more than 50 times. Eventually they agreed – provided we planned everything was COVID-safe,” he said.
Romeo moved to Palermo from Hackney in London last year. He had secretly planned to walk back to his old home in London during the lockdown.
From Rome to London, the pair followed La Via Francigena, a pilgrim’s trail, which allowed them to stay in convents and hostels. The idea was to use no petrol.
They walked more than 80 per cent of the journey, using a sailing boat and bikes.
Dad Phil said that the journey was “really great for my mental health – to participate in a child’s imagination and a child’s epic journey.”
“It was a special time and moment to share with my son and something we both shall never forget for all our lives. We got lost a lot, and up to all sorts of adventures. Some things we agreed never to tell mum,” the dad added.
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