Pam Brivio was delighted to be invited to represent Dover Walkers are Welcome on 16th June at a recent ceremony on Dover seafront to celebrate the handover of the symbolic walking stick. Giancarlo Laurenzi OBE (Carlo) of The Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome  (EAVF)   https://pilgrimstorome.org.uk/ passed it to Captain Nicholas Jones of P&O ferries who in turn, some hours later, will hand it over to representatives of the EAVF in Calais.
One of their steering group, Peter Morris, manager of North Downs Way was also present and had facilitated the transportation over to France. In view of COVID-19, walkers this end could not accompany the stick and continue the journey.
There was a two-day series of events, which began in Canterbury cathedral and forms part of the EAVF’s anniversary celebrations, The Road to Rome 2021. The stick, which originally came from Ireland, will travel for the next four months across mainland Europe to conclude the 3000 km pilgrimage. See  https://www.viefrancigene.org/it/
Funding for these events has been provided by The Green Pilgrimage Project, Interreg Europe from the European Regional Development Fund in partnership with Kent Downs AONB.