On the feast of St James – the patron of the greatest walking pilgrimage in the world, the Camino di Santiago – I set off on the newly minted Camino di San Benedetto, 200 miles on foot through the heartland of Italy. It begins in Norcia, the birthplace of St Benedict, and ends in the place where he died (and is buried) 1,500 years ago, a mountain-top spiritual fortress, the abbey of Monte Cassino.
From the first day to the last, every minute was filled with prayer, history and beauty, whether natural or artistic. My rosary never left my hand. I had a heavy pack, slept in the woods and had bad shoes – and hence, of necessity, walked with a penitential spirit.
