26 May 2007, Friday - Milan. You don't walk 900 kilometers without the support of a big cast of characters. I'd like to thank every single person, but if I did that this post would be so long and boring you'd never come back to visit again.

So...here is a list of people who really made a difference and without whom my walk wouldn't have been quite as perfect as it was. This is not a ranking, but rather a chronological list of when I meet these people going from north to south.

Massimo Tamone, mayor of Etroubles, who walked with me for two days and guided me and my snow shoes across the snow-covered Gran San Bernardo Pass.

Giulio Tassi, who walked with me for three days thus solidifying a friendship born last year on the Camino de Santiago.

The whole band in Vercelli with the Club Alpino Italiano and the Friends of the Via Francigena and especially Gigi Serra and Pino Conti who accompanied me across Vercelli's rice fields.

Renata Crotti, councilwoman in Pavia, who helped me kick off my project and made sure my four days in her region were filled with great meals and meetings connected to the Via Francigena (the former fundamental, the latter an added bonus).

Pierluigi Cappelletti, who welcomes pilgrims in Orio Litta near the banks of the Po with an enthusiasm that makes anything else seem a bit mundane.

The town of Berceto for the excellent hospitality it provides in an ex-seminary without charge to pilgrims. The perfect demonstration of how a town that makes an effort can help pilgrims and itself.

Don Franco at the Cappucino convent in Pontremoli who I spoke with only briefly, but in that short period let me experience the spirit of hospitality provided to pilgrims - religious and not - by the church.

Don Gianni in Aulla, ditto above.

The town of Altopascio, ditto what said for Berceto. This small town provides excellent free facilities for pilgrims.

Suor Ginetta at the convent in Siena who should be used as the prototype for modeling all those who need to learn how to welcome and receive pilgrims.

Carla in Quinciano who did a small thing on her own volition - offering us water, wine and the use of her terrace - that made my day and instilled in me the desire to do random acts of kindness for strangers.

Massimiliano Vinci from Viterbo who did much to help me out in the stretch of the Via Francigena near where he lives.

Marco Guglielmi, also from Viterbo, who made me a commemorative coin and medal and walked with me for half a day.

Gianfranco Imperatori, general secretary of Civita, who helped me get the word out for what I was trying to accomplish.

All the groups that mark the trails spending their own time, money and effort. These people work in secret and I can't name them because what they do, helping pilgrims by indicating the trail with paint, stickers and signs, is illegal. The government hasn't wanted to do it, but they won't let anybody else do it either. Go figure.

And a special thanks also to Valentina and Sara who did my translations and Joakim who helped with the site because as nifty as my handheld computer is, I couldn't have done it without him