On a recent trip to Rome and Florence. The people opposite us on the plane there were infront of us in the Colosseum the next day then behind us in the Vatican Museum two days later. Then a couple who were on the same train (in the same carriage) to Florence for the day and on the same train and carriage on the way back were then spotted the the next day at the Vatican Museum also then who should turn up that night at the Airport you've guessed it, the copuple from Florence and they were on our flight! It's not as if we were on an organised tour and all staying in the same hotel. We just thought it was incredible considering all the poeple that must have been in Rome.

I have had something similar happen once. I was in Budapest at the end of a graduate study abroad course. The students all split up after that, some going home and some going on to various parts of Europe. Two days later we (my wife and I) ran into 3 of the other students at Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. After having spent so much time together over the weeks, we just said hi and went on.

We were staying at the Moulin de l'Abbaye in Brantome, France and met a couple from Florida that were staying there also.<BR><BR>About one week later in Paris we were having breakfast at the Hotel Bradford (8th arr). We were not staying at this hotel, but just having breakfast. The hotel has&quot; turn of the century &quot;elevators that are open so that riders can see the breakfast room and other parts of the hotel as they go up and down. This couple from Florida were staying at this hotel and spotted us sitting at a table in the breakfast room and came into the room to talk to us. <BR><BR>It seemed amazing to us that of all the hotels in Paris, we should meet again.

A few years back, we took the train from Milan to Venice during Carnavale. The train was PACKED. We kept going one car closer to the front hoping to find a place to sit (2nd class – we didn’t have reserved seats). At the first car behind the locomotive, we just squeezed on and stood on the stairs the whole 3 ½ hours to Venice. It was a small United Nations up there. All different languages being spoken, but no one else but us speaking English. Still, we all seemed to be communicating in some way, and making the best of our very cramped quarters.<BR><BR>The next day we were at the American Bar at the edge of the Piazza San Marco (having an afternoon brandy to stave off the bitter cold). One of the Italian couples from the train trip was there too. They spotted us, and ran over to “chat”. Hugs all around, as if we’d been friends forever! Again, the language barrier somehow wasn’t there and we had a good laugh about our train trip together. Amazing what you can accomplish with pantomime and smiles!<BR>

Went on a Bike tour South of Siena, with plans to stay on our own a few extra days. Great group of people. Separated at the end of the trip and one guy we met was also staying in Tuscany a few extra days, didn't find out where, just assumed, since Tuscany is very large that we wouldn't see him again. After a couple of days in Tuscany exploring the area, we were driving back from Montelcino and saw this guy adjusting his bike by the side of the road and immediately recognized him. Stopped and talked a bit and have since kept in touch.<BR><BR>DFW

A couple staying at our hotel in Sorrento ended up on our train into Naples for the day, then we saw them at a tiny little pizza place in Naples and said hello. Later that day we bumped into them in a church, then in the afternoon we saw them at a cafe and waved. And then on the train back to Sorrento that we just happened to get on at the last minute who waved at us, but you guessed it.<BR><BR>This last trip to Rome two little Grandmothers sat behind us, I remember because one kept kicking me in the back. On the flight back three weeks later here they came on the plane, this time sitting in front of me, but, no, I didn't kick them.<BR><BR>In Switzerland I made my husband yodel while we were standing on a, we thought, deserted trail. While he was in full yodel a German couple strolled by and laughed at him. We kept running into them all over town and they laughed whenever they saw us. My husband gets upset to this day when I mention this.

I was eating dinner alone at a nice restaurant in Beaugency, France. A British couple came in a while later and sat at a table across the aisle from me. We started chatting. I eventually moved to their table to finish the meal. <BR><BR>The next day on a whim I went to Orlean for a day trip because Beaugency was a much smaller town than I expected. I ran into the same couple coming out of the cathedral. We were all quite surprised.<BR>

I have two stories:<BR>First, A couple years ago, I went to Israel with my youth group. Since it's such a long flight, the lady next to me and I started chatting and talked (quietly of course) almost the entire flight.<BR>A few days later, we ran into each other in a little cafe in Jerusalem. We hugged and she introduced me to her family and we chatted for about 30 minutes.<BR>The second time, in college, I did study abroad to London and after the semester was over, I went touring around Europe for two weeks.<BR>In Prague, I ran into a feloow American who had been studying with my in London.<BR>Two great experiences.

My friend accidentally spilled some beer on two British tourists during an L.A. Dodgers game. Very embarrassing, but the Brits were extremely polite about it. My thought as we left the park was, oh well, we'll never see those people again.<BR><BR>One week later we were meeting other friends at LAX, and guess who was right in front of us? The Brits from the game.

On Capri, we once started talking with a young couple on their honeymoon. We talked at length and went our separate ways. Several nights later we were having dinner in Sorrento, and there they were a couple tables away. No big deal, Sorrento is pretty close to Capri. We talked briefly. Then several days later we were walking in the mobs in St. Peter's Square in Rome and heard our names -- yes it was them again. To top it off, two years later we were having our &quot;picnic&quot; in a little &quot;box&quot; at the Hollywood Bowl before a concert in LA. A couple near us kept staring, finally the girl came over and said, &quot;aren't you the guys we kept running into in Italy.&quot; Yes, it was them!

those are the people you are ending your karma with

This September we talked to a couple from Seattle while walking around the Bishop's Palace in Wells. We talked about our 'loose' itineraries and parted ways. The next day we met across the road in Glastonbury and chatted. The day after, we were walking in Chepstow and they drove by us and stopped their car to talk for a moment. I wish we had exchanged adresses in order to compare travel notes later.

My wife was staring at costumes in a museum at the Ming Tombs outside Beijing when she noticed a man standing nearby. He had been an usher at our wedding...40 years before.