Dad And Son Walk Over 1700 Miles To Visit Grandmother And They 'Shall Never Forget' It

Jul 09, 2022 by apost team

We all know the story of Little Red Riding Hood, where the main character goes off to her grandmother's house. This is the 21st-century tale of a little boy who traveled many miles just to get a hug from his grandma. One father and son duo set out on the longest journey of their lives.

Romeo Cox and his father Phil missed their grandma and mom so much during a worldwide lockdown that they decided to travel many miles to see her. How many miles you may ask? The father and son walked and traveled over 1700 miles to get from Palermo to London. 

It took a total of 93 days to accomplish the journey to be reunited with 77-year-old grandma. The father and son traveled by foot and donkey while also sleeping outside under the stars nearly every night. Romeo had daydreamed of walking to his grandma's house for many months before his parents decided to help make his dream a reality.

Going "over the hill" to grandma's house wasn't the only thing that Romeo was up to during the long trek. He was also busy raising money for refugees during the process. He decided to include the Refugee Education Across Conflicts Trust in his amazing trek and ended up raising nearly $12,000. After finally making it to London, the father and son duo had to quarantine for seven days before they could finally see their mom and grandma. Even after walking and traveling 1700 miles, the family said it was more than worth it to see the woman they love!

In an interview with Metro, Romeo shared, "Even after quarantine, I thought walking might be a new experience,"' he said. "I asked my parents and they said no more than 50 times," he added. 

Romeo's father, Phil, said the trip started a little rocky. "Walking was a bit frustrating at the beginning, but then it became something really beautiful. Slow travel is really special."

"Romeo never complained, we got up at 5am and walked until the sun went down," he added. "I still shouted at him each day, so there was no change there!" he said.

Romeo said that the travel was bitter-sweet. "I loved swimming under the stars and swimming in the sea. The first two days with Pedro the donkey were great, although after that he was a nightmare."

Even when the journey got difficult, the pair never gave up on making it to grandma's house. "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," the son said. Phil admitted that the long trek was a very special bonding experience for him and his son. "We got lost a lot, and up to all sorts of adventures. Some things we agreed never to tell mum," he shared.

After finally making it to London after 93 days, the family could not have been happier to be together. 

"It was a special time and moment to share with my son and something we both shall never forget for all our lives," the proud and accomplished dad added.

apost.com

Would you walk 1,700 miles to your grandma's house?! We are so inspired by the love that this family has for their grandmother! If you were inspired by this unique story— make sure to send it to others who will love it!