SUNDAY 
ROMA

There was a marathon in Rome on Sunday morning. Fortunately I would miss any blockages.
I took a bus out to the Appia Antica, the ancient Roman road. The plan was to rent a bicycle at this place and ride out the bumpy road.
There she is. They didn't rent helmets or if they did I didn't notice, so I went lidless.
Before heading out on the long ride, I visited the Catacombs of San Calisto. This was our guide, Obed. At least I think that's what he said his name was. He spoke English with a Filipino accent. There were no photo allowed in there.

San Calisto was a cemetery for early Christians in Rome, back when it was not good to be a Christian. There were nine 3rd century popes buried here as well as St. Cecilia.
Sheep! Seems I often get pictures of sheep when I'm on holiday. Strange.
I didn't know what this was when I rode by it. It's tucked down a little side road and there was lots of garbage strewn about. Also, there was smoke coming from somewhere in the area. Kind of made it all spooky looking. But now that I look at a satellite view online, I see it is just another (apparently unused) entrance to the Catacombs of San Sebastiano.
Not far off of the Appia Antica on Via Ardeatina is the Fosse Ardeatina, site of a rather sad event in World War II.
What happened was that on March 23, 1944 a German army military police battalion was attacked by Italian Partisans. A bomb immediately took out 28 of the soldiers, with several more later dying from their injuries.
As you would imagine, the Nazis didn't take too kindly to that, so as a reprisal they decided that they would execute ten Italians for each dead soldier. So local prisoners were gathered and taken to the quarry at Ardeatina and shot in the back of the head. They killed 335. The bodies were piled everywhere.
I assume these are tombs of some of the victims. There are a lot of them.
Like this guy, Ugolini Nino. From the photo and what was written (in Italian) on the tomb, I think he was a pilot.
Some Nazi stuff in a small museum at the memorial. God I hate Nazis.
So, now the ride out the old road. It doesn't look too bad here, bumpy but manageable. But this more recent paving is not all there is.
Stretches are made up of these original stones. Given that the road was built in 312 B.C.E. it still hold up well, but you don't want to ride a bicycle on it. Most riders veered off onto the worn paths on the sides.
I've always enjoyed a little T and A.
Despite being a bit of an historic attraction, there are people who live in what look like pretty nice villas along the way.

Out around the VII mile mark there are the ruins of an ancient Roman aqueduct. The rest of the photos will be on the ride back toward the city.
This is a funerary inscription, probably something like "Here lies Biggus Dickus and his wife Incontinentia Buttocks". I don't know Latin, but I know Monty Python.
Torre Selce, built in the 12th century over a mausoleum.
A roadside tomb. Between the catacombs and these tombs there are a lot of dead people out here.
This is Casal Rotondo, the site of the largest mausoleum along Via Appia Antica. There's a small villa on top of it.

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