Tuscana to Lazio 7/30

Toscana is the region where I first encountered the upturned leaves of olive trees. Even Valle d'Aosta in the north had its share of vineyards, but some of the vineyards of Toscana were vast. The best part of Toscana were the people, both pilgrims, hosts, and locals. It seems like I went with the flow of a different group of people in each region:

In Aosta there were Maritta from Finland and Carolus from Holland, along with the two American girls who had started in Canturbury. 

In Lombardia there were Paola and Francesco, a wonderful reunion from the Camino de Santiago. 

In Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna there were Vincent from Belgium who was traveling to his grandparents' place of birth, Bari, after reaching Rome, Oliver and Flo, the nice, young French couple who always cooked up great food when the hostel had a kitchen. 

In Toscana the group of four that I encountered first in Sarzana, Gabriele, Willie, Paola, and Jasmin; Alberto at San Caprasio who I saw in Siena with his girlfriend as that was his last stop for this year's journey; Anna, from Belgium, Stefano, the three friends traveling together, Sergio, Caterina, and Poalo; Filippo, first met in Siena at Suor Genetta's; the group of four Scouts Alessandro, Elena, Greta, and Marta.

The only ones left to meet in the next two places in the region of Lazio are Filippo, the Scout group, and myself. Bolsena will be the last of that Toscana group as Filippo will combine two stages to move ahead so as to arrive in Rome in time to catch a train and ship for Sardinia where the rest of his family is vacationing; the Scout group will leave from Bolsena because that's the time limit to their pilgrimage - perhaps doing Bolsena to Roma at a later time.

At Aquapendente, the first stop on the Via Francigena in Lazio, Fillippo commented on the sudden change in Italian accents.  

The Casa del Pelligrino di San Rocco was a lucky break for me; because I was the first to arrive I got a single room with a (relatively) large bed. The others came later and an even later addition, a family who was bicycling the Via Francigena. All of us left fairly early.