We are not alone after all

Everyone tells us how lonely the Via Francigena is compared to the Camino de Santiago. I guess if I was alone I would feel it more. We suspected we might get to Rome without seeing other pilgrims as we are clearly 8 days behind the last people in most of the registers. However after 11 days on the road we met two other pilgrim couples today. We walked quite a bit of the day with a Swedish couple who are doing the Francegina in two week blocks as they have holidays. They are on the same route as us. Sophia and I walk a little faster but seem to take more breaks so we cross-crossed each other through the day. We haven't seen them this evening so not sure if they are in pilgrim accommodation of have gone to a B & B. We just settled in at The Don Bosco pilgrim accommodation when the caretaker came and asked if we minded sharing with two other pilgrims who had just arrived. A bit of a squash in a tiny room but the chance to connect with others has been fun. Francesco and his partner met on the Camino de Santiago in 2006 and have lived and worked together since. He is Spanish and she Italian. They had a break from their work and decided to Walk from Rome to Santiago following the way of St Francis through Assisi and Florence, connected to the Via Francegina for the crossing of the Apennines and will leave it near Vercelli we joined to track through Turin and France. They gave us some great tips on places to stay down the track and we were able to return the favour.