I began my hiking day discouraged by another terribly hot night of sleep (not a lot of this) without air conditioning (at least this spot had a fan). At 5:15 a.m., I navigated my way out of Pavia (a large city by Via Francigena standards).

The morning hike began like the rest the last few days once I left Pavia. Rice fields, irrigation canals, blah blah …

Then, as I pass through the tiny town of San Pietro in Verzolo, I see two pilgrims (man and woman) pop out of a building about 75 yards ahead of me and they’re headed down the trail ahead of me. About 20 yards into their strides (very fast strides), I realize I know that stride and that build. That has to be Andrea but he’s too far ahead to call by name at 6:30 in the morning and there is no way I’m catching them at the rate they’re moving (and I mean moving). So, I give up on the idea of catching them or even pursuing them and say to myself. “Self, if that’s Andrea and you’re supposed to reconnect with him, it will happen when it’s supposed to happen. So, for the next hour or so, I slowly lose ground on these very fast hikers and get fewer and fewer glimpses of them as we round corners and climb hills. It’s probably not going to happen. I’m not catching them.

Around 9:30 a.m., I decide it is time for my morning break in the Town of Belgioioso. To find a cafe’ in this small town, I must go a few blocks off the trail and deeper into town. As I am walking down the street, I hear an Italian version of “Doug! Doug!” (sounds more like Duk! Duk!). I turn in the direction of the voice to see Andrea sitting with a woman I’d never met.

I walk around to the front door and walk to the patio to meet Roberta from Paris. An Italian from Rome, living in Paris, she has excellent English and we quickly strike up a conversation and a trail crew is formed. Four the next 4 hours, Roberta, Andrea and I discuss U.S. and global politics, global movements in far-right nationalism (& far left fascism), history and sing everything from Willie Nelson tunes to CCR tunes as we walk along the Via Francigena to our destination for the evening, Santa Cristina E Bissone. When we arrive at our hostel for the evening, we’re reunited with other pilgrims with whom Andrea and Roberta have walked in the last two weeks. All together, the 6 of us go to dinner in the only restaurant in this small town. Three Italians, two Canadians and one American.