A Brave New World

 Planning travel is not the same as it was

 B. C... (Before Covid) For anyone who has had their head stuck in the sand... the world has changed where travel is concerned and that means I have had to adapt.... and adapt fast. It is no longer possible to book months in advance and grab a cheap price... now you must duck and dive until the last minute... hold 7 different options in your head until you sieze the day (appropriate for where I am) and pack your bags with a day to spare, heading for a destination that you didnt necessarily consider until the options had narrowed.

Anyone that knows me might guess that I prefer to make my plans well in advance but I did my best to stay flexible and found myself this morning in a wierdly quiet Heathrow airport.... it wasnt quite zobie apocolypse quiet, more calm before the storm quiet. Nevertheless it was strange, with seats blocked by signs for social distancing and everyone wearing the masks, though that shouldn't seem so strange anymore given the amount of time I wear one when at work.

Before I let you know where I landed... first appreciate the mass of plans that disappeared up in smoke... USA National Parks trip, Iceland, Norway, Greece... all planned to some degree and then disgarded as the Covid bubble rolled on, enveloping all dreams, leaving behind a sticky broken mess. Where in the world was left was my only question... and then I found a route.... off road... in a country not yet off the list... I held my breath as the week rolled on, waiting for the next government announcement! Portugal fell bit I cheered slightly... my plans were safe... and I ended up here.....

The Eternal City awaited! I went to Rome. many years ago as part of a longer trip... 1 day was all I got. A quick shuffle round the Colloseum and a run to the Vatican to wait in a queue before getting fed up and leaving only to hit a barrier on the road I had to cross. The Pope was passing... so I waited and saw the pope.. but the bus was waiting and that was all I saw of Rome. This time I had a plan... my bike and I are heading to the mountains east of Rome on a ride called The Wolf's Lair (https://bikepacking.com/routes/bikepacking-abruzzo/) and then back to Rome for a few days to look round the city that held so much fascination for me. I love history and ancient Rome has always held a place in my heart. The exploits of Pompey and Caesar and Marius, the tactics and the pride if the legions rang clear through time... the epic displays held in the Colosseum shrieked so my ears could still hear the slaughter and the sound of the chariots as they charged round the Circus Maximus dealing death to those who came close...

Today I walked in the footsteps of some of those... though not yet the Forum, where Cicero may have stood or Pompey drew up to the steps as part of his triumph or Cinna and Marius waged a war of words in the Senate....

I arrived at my hotel... and squeezed my bike bag in very small, very rickety lift... I wasn't carrying that up 4 floors! Even if I had told the airline it was 23Kg, it may well have weighed slightly more. The hotel building was old... par for the course for Rome, where there are 3 ages of building... fairly old... much older, and unbelievably fcuking old!

This one was in the fairly old category having been built as recently as the 1800's. Thats pretty much brand new round here.

I quickly threw my stuff on the bed, and got out everything from my rucksack... I was already on a mission. I had to get to the camping store before it shut to get some gas for my stove... I did but unfortunately they only had the larger size of cannister left and unless I was willing to wait until the new order arrived in October..  I had little choice. Once that was secured I wondered round staring upwards to the ancient building that I kept tripping over... almost literally. You would be wondering along.. doging the Rome traffic, when a building would rise up in front of you, built thousands of years ago but still standing proud... or the wall... or the gate where legionaries stood as Sulla attacked Marius, both consuls of Rome yet bloodshed reigned and Rome burned.  I knew the history, yet at times it was hard to picture when  accompanied by the modern day moped horns and rumble of traffic. Yet occasionally I got a glimpse of the terror of those nights or the bustle of the peasants and slaves as they went about their business of the day.

It was a whistle stop tour but I will have time on my return to study in more detail. I passed by the Colosseum again, no crowds surrounding as it was B.C.. and a little peace descended as I heard the crowd roar from the upper tier, no doubt in response to an act of valour or recklessness.... and then I was snapped back to the present as the Colloseum turned blue in the night, reflecting the glory of what once was.

I stumbled back to the hotel, the march round Rome after a day of relentless travel having taken a lot out of me... Tomorrow I would turn my back on the Eternal City and head east... the mountains are calling.