101 km (63 miles) – Total so far: 858 km (533 miles)
Quite a fast day without a lot of climbing across the Alife plain, the remains of an old lake, riding in the shadow of the Matese Massif early this morning. The Matese range is great for climbing , spring and autumn the peak periods.
The only significant climb was the 250 meters just before coming in to town.
Despite the simplicity of this life, a battle is taking place – me v heat / hills / butt & back / Mosquitos. Ever competitive, you may want to know some score updates: v heat – improving 3 to 7 points up, but it’s getting hotter v hills – a good day, but some tough sessions behind and ahead – all square v butt & back – stronger by the moment – 7 – 10 points up v Mosquitos – resorting to new tactics – 7 to 10 points down
Benavento is on vacation – the place is almost totally dead, additionally it’s a hot Sunday. A pass through though for me, onto the National parks and mountains of the tongue of the boot.
12 km off-road section through some farms (illegal), early this morning. Max speed 48.7 km/hr, Moving average 19.1 km/hr, Ride time 5 hrs 9 mins Elevation Benavento 181 metres asl.
Last night’s Pensione – not strong – couldn’t swing a dead parrot the room was so small – no flush on lav – ac didn’t work – another biker was staying, with his wife to carry his stuff (!) – and only riding 5 days.
The bells…. It’s like a macho thing for a town how big it’s bells are – these angle every quarter of an hour, with a 5 minute performance every hour – and Sunday morning non-stop
Small delights – simple days for simple people, looking forward to water breaks, the end of a hill, the end of the day, dinner, sleep –
Arriving in Alife, 11:15 hrs – settlement dates from the Bronze Age (approx 1000 BC), the town was destroyed 4 times by various invaders in the Middle Ages, but they didn’t get the Roman amphitheatre which is the 4th largest in Italy.
Alife centre – crazy Sunday morning – bike resting
arriving into town past Benavento Rugby Club – played in Serie A since being founded in 1982 and 2008, now in Serie E
Arriving into Benavento – at first appearance, a vast blackhead on the low sweaty hanging cheeks of the south of Italy
More pleasant as the climb up the cheeks is realised, from the cleft – it certainly flourished in Roman times (300BC), and is known as a literary seat – the home town of Orbilius the Grammarian
Safe Return Doubtful 
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