The Appia

Someone once wrote, "All roads lead to Rome." At one time, when Rome ruled the world, they did, and the oldest and most famous road was named the Appia. I know it may be boring to some people, but to me, walking down the Appia gave me goosebumps.
One Sunday, Stacey and I packed a couple bottles of water, fruit, and some bread, into a backpack and drove to the where the Appia starts, at the Gates of San Sebastian, on the edge of Rome. The first twelve miles leading out of Rome is a straight road, and is under the watchful eye of the archaeological society. We walked for about five miles that day, stopping to rest, eat, take pictures and talk about who had pasted "right here" on this very spot. The Romans had planted tall pine trees the entire length of the original road....for miles and miles, to shade the troops as they walked into battle, so they would be less fatigued than the enemy. I'm sure they were not the original trees, but the entire road is still lined with massive pines, that do make the hike easier. We saw what is left of a few temples, a small circus massimo, catacombs, churches, Romulas's tomb, and much more. Huge villas, that I'm sure house the "rich and famous," were littered along the road, along with a few restaurants, and other businesses. It was like a living historical site. But as the Appia works it way down towards Napoli, and spreads out across the rest of Italy, some of it has been lost to centuries of people building structures over it, to farmland, and to whatever else purpose that seemed more important. But to my delight there are miles and miles of the original road under layers of modern day highways. Stacey drives over a long section of the Appia, about once a week. I like going with him and staring out the window, watching the trees along the road zip by, amagining what Cleapatra thought as she was carried down this amazing road on her way to Rome.