“The Great Hike to Paris” on the occasion of the Olympic and Paralympic Games from Cerbère… Obviously we have marked the event big and red in our diaries!
Are you ready too? Come on, let's go...
Proud of our Catalan village, the furthest starting point from the capital to the mainland, we were on the new seafront on Monday January 15. Early in the morning, from 8:30 a.m., the appointment was made to welcome the first hikers and offer them hot drinks, “rousquilles” and “tortell” before the effort.
Among the first to arrive, our two ambassadors from the Occitanie region!
Véronique and Alain, were ready to travel the 980 km which will take them from Cerbère to Paris via footpaths.
The sun was out for this departure scheduled around 9:30 a.m. in the presence of Mr. The Mayor of Cerbère, his advisors, the President of the FFRP Occitanie Regional Committee, the President of the Departmental Committee of the same organization and the Banyuls Rando Club, responsible for supervising the first stage between Cerbère and Banyuls-sur-Mer.
One of the key accessories for any hike is the pole…
“And for such a special occasion, we needed a very unique stick!”
Specially made by a craftsman, it perfectly embodies this adventure. Made of hornbeam wood, hard and resistant to friction, it has a 3-headed dog representing Cerberus, the Occitan Cross, as well as the small engraved steps heading towards the capital for hiking. Finally, at the top, sits the Eiffel Tower in homage to Paris.
It was in good spirits that the ribbon was cut, marking the start of this magnificent adventure.
Our 58 hikers then set off on the splendid Coastal path which travels the Côte Vermeille!
The arrival in Banyuls took place as planned around 15:30 p.m. where, in front of the Town Hall, a guard of honor formed by students from the village schools and members of the municipality awaited them.
We wish the best to our 2 ambassadors and to the hiking clubs who will accompany them throughout their journey to Paris, Olympic and Paralympic city 2024.
And if you come across them on the trails, don’t hesitate to encourage them… they deserve it!
Themes
