26 th September


Train for 10 km towards east and LA STORTA, to put me back onto the VIA CASSIA, which I left to its procession of cars in SUTRI.
There was now about 25 km left into the centre of Rome. Without my rucksack!!! The cars were their again, but at least there was some walkways along the road now. They had a malicious tendency of switching side of the road at regular intervals, but there were now some pedestrian crossings as well. Not that anybody respects them, but contrary to places like Paris, they don?t actually speed up at you intentionally. It?s a bit like getting your Capuccino at the Bar in the morning: you step into the Bar and give your order in a loud voice, because although it doesn?t look like it, the guy behinds the bar expects you to do that.
It?s the same for pedestrian crossings: nobody will stop if you stand there because you?re expected to step out and they will stop for you to get across. Just say a few AVE MARIA?s before doing it. It?s not a big effort and might help?..
After walking on the VIA CASSIA for about an hour, a VIA called TRIONFALE branched off to the right, heading straight south.
I must admit, I was very tempted to walk my last bit of road along something with that name but then I said to myself: don?t be ridiculous, you?re not a roman emperor and continued along the CASSIA. After only about 500 metres there was a church with a FRANCIGENA explanation panel that explained that the pilgrim?s road was along the VIA TRIONFALE up to a hill that would reward the weary pilgrim with a splendid view of the eternal city.
Who was I to argue with that? I retraced my steps and put my boots onto VIA TRIONFALE, reminding myself that my second name was Cesar.
I think the first house on the left had number 13?925, or something like that. It?s a funny impression to start walking along a road that has 13?000 house numbers and it was also the only thing that was trionfale about that road. It later transpired, that these numbers were actually an indication of the distance from the CAMPIDOGLIO ? theoretically ? because there was a short bit were he numbers increased again.
Around number 6000 you reach a great viewpoint towards the south of Rome and start descending along a serpentine roads in the shade of maritime pines and acacia trees, with a couple of short cuts off the road ?.. phew, no vespas no white van kamikazes ? out of which you come to notice that the numbers have decreased from around 6000 to 197 (that?s the first one I remember of seeing).
OK, doesn?t matter, I?ve lost the TRIONFALE somewhere on that hill, I?m in ROME proper, so let?s just go on.
At the next cross-section the indication was clear though that I was still on the TRIONFALE. This number thing on that hill must be investigated. It?s not very catholic.
Rome, loads of people, loads of cars, diesel buses, noise, buildings, churches, piazzas ?. A rather tiring experience.
I just walked my way over to the main station, booked my train back to Geneva on Friday and made my way back to Bracciano.

And so to bed soon tonight to spend a full day tomorrow in Rome before wrapping up this trip