Day 373 – EU – Italy [Rome to Aprilia]

12/04/21

42km

  From Rome (Italy) to Aprilia (Italy)

Europe

Leaving Rome by San Sebastian Gate via the Appian Way on a rainy and windy day

San Sebastian Porta, Rome

I was bursting with energy as I left in the drizzly rain early in the morning. It had been a while since I last saw rain and somehow I was quite pleased. I ran across the southern part of Roma and got out of the city via the San Sebastian gate. An old cobblestones street led to it surrounded by ancient walls, next to no traffic at all, it was pleasant. I read it’s the best preserved wall of the city and indeed it was magnificent.

Via Appia Antica

I then ran the Appian Way (Via Appia Antica) which I would follow for about 20km. It was very pleasant at the beginning then turned a bit more complicated. The cobblestones which were nice and evened out at the beginning became rougher and more spaced out, making it difficult to navigate. The road was rocky in places and most importantly, the wind picked up! A south wind which I would get in my face the rest of the way. It remains though that today’s run is by far the most beautiful “green corridor” I’ve ever run, it was absolutely stunning, with cypress trees all around, ruins of ancient temples, gates and houses along the way. And birds everywhere.

Plains of Lazio

After about 21km I left the beautiful way and joined the main road towards Aprilia. The rain got heavier and that spoiled a bit the great views of the plains, as I was on a downhills towards the plains of Lazio. But I had to focus on keeping to my side of the road, pushing the stroller against the wind and keeping from the cold. As the rain persisted through the afternoon I didn’t spend much time outdoors and stayed in, working on my plan for the months ahead. It’s not looking too bad… but more about this in another blogpost!

Check my daily run GPS data on or

Here is the map of today’s run: