This pandemic has really made it hard for us to see, touch, hug, and be with our families.
And it’s especially hard when our families live in different cities or countries. We won’t be able to travel to see them. We have to resort to seeing them behind the screen through a video call.
For Romeo Cox though, he didn’t want to accept it.
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He lives in Sicily, Italy, more than 1700 miles from his grandmother, who lives in London England. He and his family moved to Italy about a year before the pandemic started and he just wanted to hug his grandmother and know she’s alright.
So he decided, he was going to walk all the way to England.
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But there was one thing standing in his way. Or make that two.
“I asked my parents and they said no more than 50 times,” Romeo told Daily Mail.
And rightfully so. After all, Romeo was only ten years old. It’s dangerous for him to trek alone for 1700 miles through four different countries. No parent would ever say yes to this request.
Eventually, they did agree but his father, Phil, was going with him, too.
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For months, they planned and trained for the trek.
Romeo took care of the navigation with his handmade map. Based on their calculations, they’re going to have to trek through four countries to get to his grandmother.
They’ll be going through Italy, Switzerland, France, and, of course, England.
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And of course, they made sure their travel was COVID-safe.
They brought their masks, practiced social distancing, and they’ll quarantine if needed. Since no planes were flying from Italy to England (which was okay with Romeo because planes hurt the planet), Romeo and his father were traveling on foot, on bicycles, on donkeys, or by ship. Whatever’s convenient at that time.
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And what an adventure!
They slept under the stars, with the birds and crickets lulling them to sleep. They encountered a pack of feral dogs. Thank goodness Romeo was with his dad because if he encountered them alone, who knows what would have happened.
“I loved sleeping under the stars and swimming in the sea,” Romeo told the Daily Mail. “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.”
And they encountered a wild donkey, which they affectionately called Pedro, and brought him along their trip. They lasted seven days until Pedro wanted to go his separate way.
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They met so many interesting characters along the road.
They met Eva and her Grandma Caterina, who fed them ice cream. Eva understood what Romeo felt when she couldn’t see her Nona Caterina for months. But since they lived near each other, Eva was able to be with her Nona now.
They even met two individuals who were trekking for their own cause as well.
Fallico Alfio was walking 1500km to his home in Sicily as a tribute to his late mother. And they met Oscar Watts, who was cycling his way from England to Rome.
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They started their journey on June 25 and by September 2o, they had finally arrived in Trafalgar’s Square in London, England.
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Unfortunately, they can’t go to Grandma Rosemary just yet.
They just arrived in England and had to go on mandatory quarantine for two weeks. Romeo was excited to see her but knew he had to follow the rules.
“As we got closer I just kept thinking about seeing my Granny, and how excited I was,” Romeo told Metro News. “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 lockdown.”
Finally, on October 4, Romeo made the walk to his grandmother’s house.
After 1700 miles (2800km) and almost two years later, he’s finally going to hug his grandmother. And when he got to her house, she was already waiting right outside. He ran towards her and gave her a long, big hug.
“Granny then made eggs and toast and we talked and talked. I have really missed her, I couldn’t sleep much the night before,” Romeo recalled.
Grandma Rosemary was overwhelmed at Romeo’s gesture and was so proud of him for making the journey.
“I didn’t believe my grandson’s incredible journey at first. But seeing Romeo after all this time, after following his journey just feels so special. I gave him the biggest hug ever,” Rosemary told Daily Mail. “Children can inspire us and lift us all up. On behalf of all the grannies in all the world, I want to thank Romeo – as well and hug him and kiss him lots.”
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And to make the story even better, this trek wasn’t made just to see his grandmother.
Romeo was inspired by his friend, Randolph, who migrated to Sicily from Ghana.
“He walked even further than I have on this trip, but without food and water and in fear. He was risking his life. He helped me when I came to Sicily, and so I wanted to help him and other vulnerable children in return,” Romeo told Daily Mail.
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Romeo decided to walk to raise funds for Refugee Education Across Conflicts Trust, a charity that supports women and children refugees. His online fundraiser originally started to raise £18,000 to provide 50 tablets and wifi connection for the refugees to use.
As of writing, this active fundraiser has already raised £18,584.
As for his dad, Phil, he also enjoyed and appreciated their journey.
“For me, it 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,” Phil told Daily Mail.
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Want to see how Romeo and Grandma Rosemary’s reunion turned out? Watch the video below!
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