August 10, 2018 - The preparation of the today's stage has been a real puzzle, with many uncertainties on the route. The path of the tratturo is quite evident up to the village of Vandra, on the homonymous stream. From there on, everything becomes more vague. Looking at the satellite images, it seems that the SS17, which until that point has followed the tratturo, deviates from it enough. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that there are any marked paths on the tratturo, so to avoid the asphalt, I had to look for alternatives. Always from the satellite surveys, it appears that there is an unmarked dirt road on the hills to the north of the tratturo. It's a risk, because if I find the passage blocked, I would have to extend the route by many kilometers. However, I don't feel like walking on the road, so... let's hope for the best.

When I'm about to leave home, I can't find my hat: I must have left it in the pizzeria the night before. Since it's going to be a sunny day and I don't have a thick head of hair, it could be a serious problem. I'm furious about my distraction, but there's little to be done, I have to start walking anyway. I open the door of the apartment and... surprise: someone has put the agonizing cap on the handle. It's always nice to discover that there are courteous people and I interpret it as a sign of good omen for the coming day.

The route to Vandra fully meets my expectations: a succession of stretches on what remains of the tratturo, interspersed with stretches on the road when it's not passable. In the village, for once, I find a water source to refuel. This year, very often, I had to rely only on water loaded in the morning.

It's time to start the adventure, thus I begin my search for the ford across the Vandra stream that will enable me to reach the dirt road I identified from the satellite images. Near the presumed ford, there is a house and a man who is doing gardening work:

• Goodmorning, can you give me directions to the ford?
• Ford? I'm not aware of any ford around here!

Mindful of past experiences, I don't insist and continue... for 20 meters. Yes, because 20 meters later, I find the dirt road that leads straight to the ford. One might wonder if he has ever left home...

Due to the rains in the days prior, it's not possible to cross the Vandra stream without getting wet feet: no problem, given the heat, a little coolness doesn't hurt. Right after the ford, I raise my eyes and see the house I just passed. It's natural to wonder if the man has ever looked out from his windows! There's little to be done: the areas we know least are always those around our homes.

It's time to find out if the path I've mapped out is actually passable. Things are going well. The cart track is scarcely used but open, so I rejoin the tratturo after a few kilometers, at the Macerone pass, where I find a monument commemorating the battle of the same name that took place in 1860.

The long descent towards Isernia begins, first on the dirt road that follows the path of the ancient tratturo, then on the asphalt of the SS17 that covers it. Given the heat, walking on asphalt is not pleasant but, since it's lunchtime, traffic is almost non-existent.

Today's walk has presented no obstacles, so I arrived early and can wander around the city of Isernia for the whole afternoon. I had never been there before and I have to admit it was a pleasant surprise.