Aqueduct Park

It's hard to do much on the day you arrive given the lack of sleep on the plane and trying to ward off jet lag.  We have some longer tours and lots of walking the rest of the week so we thought the best course of action was not to do a whole lot and just get our bearings.  After buying the Roma pass, we went ahead an activated it so we could start riding the subway.  There's only 2 lines currently -- A and B -- that sort of form an X as they crisscross the City.

We decided to visit Aqueduct Park (Parco degli Acquedotti).  This is a natural park area near the south end of the A line at the end of Viale Giulio Agricola.  This is a popular spot with locals to bike and picnic.  It's well off the traditional tourist path and it certainly seemed like we were the only non-locals there.  There we found the best preserved sections of aqueducts that date to the Roman empire. The Acqua Claudia pictured here dates to the first century A.D.

As we walked closer to the ruins to get a better view, it seemed like we were the only ones there.  The  park is left to its natural state -- no manicured lawns or mowed areas around here.  In fact, it seemed like one section of the remaining aqueduct was standing in a field of wheat.  It's hard to think back on the ingenuity and ability of the Romans to build such a massive structure that transported water from the mountains into Rome.  This ruin was also in the flight pattern of nearby Ciampino Airport so it was interesting juxtaposition to see a 2000 year old aqueduct standing tall as a 20 year old passenger plane flew right over it.

This was a great start to our trip -- seeing two millennia of history but without all of the crowds.  Those are coming tomorrow as we tour the Colosseum.