Cammino di San Benedetto: Enjoying the amazing Italian scenery: Day 9 Ostello San Michele to Mandela

The Cammino di San Benedetto (The way of St. Benedict) is a 300km hike in central Italy linking three of the most important places associated with Saint Benedict: it begins in Norcia where he was born; passes through Subiaco where he founded his first monastic house and the trail ends at the great abbey of Montecassino, where he wrote his rule, laying out the form that monasticism takes to this day.

It begins in Umbria, but soon crosses the border into Lazio, where it remains for the rest of the hike.

Day 9 of the Cammino di San Benedetto between Ostello San Michele and Mandela was a day of sunshine, humid with a series of steep ascents.

The day started with with a slow and easy ascent through open woodlands followed by a descent on stony paths to Licenza. I missed a turning here, so entered the town on the quiet main road, stopping for lunch and a break from the sun and humidity for an hour or so.

After lunch the day grew hotter and the shade scarcer, so I was happy when I reached my pilgrim accommodation close to Mandela and could rest for a while before walking up to the village of Mandela for dinner and a well-deserved beer!

A good day of walking and a good number of kilometres under the belt too.

Just a perfect day of hiking in the heart of Italy.

Music artists & links:

Viki Vox: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/I...

The Eastern Plain: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/D...

Loving Caliber: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/l...

Wanderer's Trove: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/u...

Maps:

Map images take from Open Street Map: https://www.openstreetmap.org