In the wandering, the most magical moments occur when strangers connect, if even for the briefest of exchanges. Yesterday while I was sitting along side a dirt road ...used primarily by local hunters it seemed....resting my worn feet, a beat up blue- toned Land Rover Defender jeep rolled to a stop. An elderly gentleman, worn face and hands, one tooth hanging from his upper gum line, rolled down a dusty window to chat. With extremely limited Italian on my part,and no English on his,we had a grand conversation on who I was, and why I was in Italy.
As he obviously lived close to the Via Francigena road he knew a pelligrini when he saw one, but seemed much more intent to believe that, really, I had to be in Italy for the food. Obviously, as he motioned hand to mouth with many statements of " Buon mangiere ", he was quite proud of Italian cooking. Everyone must be here for the cooking!
We then managed to determine where I would be sleeping that night..... How far I would walk. Somewhere in the exchange I understood his wife was from, and children now live in, the same town I was planning to call home for the night....just outside a tiny hamlet called Stove. His snag gle grin was glorious in recognition that I would be in a town which was near and dear to his heart.
15 minutes during a three week walk...a brief moment in time. 15 minutes to share, smile....exchange warm human connections. How I wish I had his photo. He is, however, an emblem on my heart for that day!
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