All this walking and you end up with a big Mac

When we woke up this morning we knew that it was special because later that afternoon we would reach the outskirts of Rome and our journey would be almost over. After breakfast we put on our haversacks and with the help of google maps headed out of Monterotondo for the Marcigliana National Park. Even the intense morning heat couldn't put a negative slant on our spirits as we walked through the slightly undulating park towards the iconic site of one of civilisations most ancient towns, Crustumerium. Not only is the sight impressive it also has a very humbling effect as it brings into perspective the length of time civilisation has been developed here. The walk continued through the park and then exploded on to the outer suburbs of Rome. When I say exploded that is what it felt like. For almost two weeks we have been walking through reasonably deserted countryside hearing only the sounds  of nature and now we were confronted with the sounds of urban living. The noise from the traffic and from people was almost deafening. The amount of traffic and people took some getting used to as we first passed the Acqua Sacra where even today people fill containers of pure spring water. As we walked into the Sacra Monto district we started to look for accommodation and were lucky to quickly find a nice hotel called Pergola. Don't be put off by the name it really is quite nice even though the counter staff had never heard of anyone who had walked from Assisi to Rome. We really had rejoined modern society when we went out last night for our evening meal in a Mc Donald's. Don't know how I feel about tomorrow. The end of a journey is always special but unlike the Camino we will not be sharing this experience with other people. Anyway let's wait and see what happens.