One of the characters I met upon first arriving in Rifugiamo was Baldoria, who I would learn was the Canine Queen of the village. Her principal throne was in Sally and Nick Heartson’s home, a British couple who spoke only English to her, never Italian. When we first met, she was already an older regent with signs of arthritis in her hips. Yet, she loved to go for a “walkie” and quickly became my regular partner on long hikes in and around the village.

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