Everything is happening on time. Title of a monologue in the third person.

You ignore the 06.00 alarm.

You only get up at 07.20.

You are already "late".

In fact, though, you are on time.

You just don't know it yet.

You arrive at Colle Impisio at 10.00. As easily predictable, there isn't a free spot and you park a kilometre and a half from the start of the trail.

You are on time, though, to meet along the solitary path from Piano di Gaudolino to Monte Pollino, Antonio and Federica, father and 17-year-old daughter, with a habit now three years old of walking side by side on the trails of the Pollino.

You get to the summit around 13.00, grateful that the north-east wind cheered up the beautiful day of hot sun.

You set off again "only" at 14.00, for two reasons: 1) you're undecided about which route to take on the way back and you keep chewing over a couple of options; 2) you lose your selfie and video stick, which you try uselessly to look for, then you set off empty-handed.

After starting on one trail, you change your mind and pick another one that takes you to the majestic thousand-year-old tree, the Patriarca, where you get a first hint about the good timing of that day: you meet a group that was struggling to keep going because one of the guys had the sole of his shoes coming off. You fix it with some electrical tape and you set off again with a strong sense of "usefulness".

On the way down towards Gaudolino, you stop often to appreciate the silence of the wood. A silence deafening and light at the same time. A symphony made of wind, of branches moving and some falling; of dead leaves scraping as they flutter or shift, between lizards and birds in the middle of their daily business.

Once out of the beech wood at the feet of Monte Pollino, you spot in the distance three figures in a robe typical of monks, plain, orange-copper coloured, talking to each other next to a group of four hikers.

You are exactly in the right place, at the right time, to meet for the first time in your life three Buddhist monks.

Fascinated by this philosophy of which you often read quotes, books or hear stories and precepts about, you talk with them and walk together for the return until Piano Visitone, where we refresh ourselves with a regenerating drink (non-alcoholic, for them).

You have a conversation with the Italian nun to whom you confide your small pseudo-meditation ritual and some practices you've learned and mixed to your personal measure. "Aia" is the first part of her name, the only one you remember because.. «... you only need to pinch yourself and you'll say my name! ». You learn what Buddhist communities are, what differences can exist between them, an example of the path of a new disciple, and many other curiosities about this philosophy and practice.

You head towards the road home, in the car, at 19.00, and you decide you'll stop at some restaurant along the way and then continue home. You think of Senise and you call your friend Nicola De Lillo, astrophysicist and poet. You call Alessandro Cozzi, GAE colleague and companion in various sport adventures. Nobody answers. You pass at San Severino Lucano a place that looks open. Il Rist'oro.

You are in perfect time to reverse and park behind the car of three guys that in a few seconds you'll get to know as Francesco, Cosimo and Luigi, from Pisticci and Marconia.

Not only do you eat in good company and make new friends, but you find out that you were looking for each other.

They are keeping with them the selfie and video stick found by the young hiker Federica, who had asked them to hand it over to a certain Vittorio Marino who was hiking alone... in case they crossed his path.

Here the link to the GPX track from Colle Impisio to Monte Pollino: komoot.com/tour/1175750778