D40 Campagnano to ROME

After a lovely evening orchestrated by the outgoing Bruno putting together a mixed table of 12 pellegrinos (most of those in town that night I would guess) Italian, Swiss, American, Australian plus me the token Brit I cycled over to Formello and realised what a good decision has been made the previous evening. The lovely Nina proudly showed me the Palazzo library (closed) museum (closed) and the Hostel (closed). Over a picnic lunch in a wooded copse pictured below outside the town I mused on this difference in culture - imagine a Cotswold tourist spot closing up for a holiday week in August so everybody can be with their families. It's the way it used to be up north - once you accept that it's good for families to get together for a week in the summer then a general close down makes perfect sense.
The afternoon took me down into the Tiber valley through surprisingly lovely countryside only 30km North of the city. Then suddenly you're in it and I was absolutely delighted to realise the lovely people who have cyclified the Via Francigena get you over onto a  pukka Tiber cycle way with a minimum of fuss and there I was cruising into the eternal city. Not only that but the riverside path is called the Way of the Resistance in celebration of the role of Women in opposing fascism often organising on their bikes. Right on...I 'm very pleased to be here!