It thunder stormed and rained last night, so that I wanted to avoid the muddy trails at all costs. Basically, I took the bicycle path to the town of Rieti covering the short distance of 17 km (10 mi) and all downhill. The town of Rieti is on one edge of the Rieti Valley, once a lake that the Romans drained via the canal that ended in the Marmore’s Falls.
Discovered this morning that my right sandal became a victim of the rocks and the sole is starting to separate from the rest. Hope they can make it to Rome—may have to use duct tape! Then I saw why I lost a water bottle—something tore a hole in the netting holding the bottle. And thirdly, within a few miles of the hotel, a little hole in my sock, became huge—it exposed my entire big toe. So embarrassed that I changed socks at first bench.
Rieti with only about 50,000 people is considered a good sized town having a cathedral and a university. Piazza San Rufo is traditionally considered to be the exact centre of Italy (Latin Umbilicus Italiae) and if you do a Wikipedia search of Rieti, it in fact looks like the center of Italy! Also just learned that our Lakers’ Kobe Bryant grew up here in Rieti from age of 6 on. His dad retired from NBA and moved the family here.
Comments on pics: one shows entering the old part of Rieti, then standing in front of the Cathedral with a statue of St Francis, and lastly about to cross the Velino River.