Biking the Via Appia

A perfect fall day in Rome--blue sky, cool wind.  Anne and I biked Via Appia.  What freedom to be biking here, but the traffic getting out of town...oh my!

The Appian Way (Via Appia) was one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy. The road is named after Appius Claudius Caecus, the Roman official who began and completed the first section as a military road to the south in 312 BC.

What remains is a surface of cobblestones atop smooth boulders that once were tightly intertwined--and biking was wonderful, but not terribly relaxing.  It was very bumpy and we had to be vigilant for loose rocks, holes, roots, other riders, and pedestrians.  To this day the Via Appia contains the longest stretch of straight road in Europe totaling 62 km, or 39 miles.  Needlesstosay, we only traveled about 10 miles up the road and then the 10 miles back.  Along the way we passed ancient walls and the remains of buildings dotted the landscape.  In the distance we could see the Roman aqueduct.  A grand adventure.

Cobblestones--larger boulders peek through now and then.  A bumpy ride! 

Roman aqueduct in the distance (left) 

All faces on this wall are sad faces.  Makes me wonder what this was

We naturally had to stop for a cappuccino, strudel, and a sandwich