Roman Road near Zarzalejo and El Escorial

I wouldn't have liked to have travelled along that road - talk about bumpy, though I suppose a lot of it is down to people taking big stones for their homes!

I've thought about it a lot, Jenny. 1500 years of erosion, apart from human theft, has really eaten into what would have been a very smooth road surface when built! This section, where the stones haven't been stolen, is on a steep slope which is why 1) the locals left them in situ as they needed the traction of the stones themselves on this section and 2) rainwater and snowmelt rushes down this slope gouging deep ruts and eating into the granite itself over many centuries! In about 200 AD, I bet this would have been a route one could have comfortably walked in slippers!

Nathalie,
Frans,
Thank you both!

I will past a couple more over the next couple of days, Larry.

Maybe I won't, Larry as I can't upload. The issue of not being able to sign in has returned after I had been able to get round it for a couple of days. So I can comment and reply etc as that is all on my new laptop which is permantly signed in. But my uploading of photos can only be done on my old laptop which has been configured with my external hard drive where my photos are stored. And that needs signing in! :o(
LATER: All Ok Now!!

Fine shot and an interesting text !

Thankyou Ulrich!

Stunningly beautiful.
Interesting note Andy.

Many thanks, Jaap!

These Romans had done an incredible work, Andy !!!

Thank you, Marie-claire!

I think these are wonderful................worn or not, they are beautiful. Just think of the hundreds of thousands people who have walked that route over the year and the stories the stones could tell (if that were possible). "Proper" history..!!

I like your "proper" history comment, Keith! As someone who studied medieval history at college, that is a great compliment! Thank you!

still impressive !

Indeed Nora! Thank you!

Amazingly well preserved!

Only in a few short sections! Thank you, cammino!

Beautifully documented, this ancient Roman street ...

Many thanks to you, Udo!

I wonder if you could do a study on weathering rates. After all, you know when the stones were set originally--

I know they can do it for limestone monuments in cities so why not for granite in a place such as this. But who would want to do it and why?

Geomorphologists studying the timescale of evolution of landforms!

I see your point and stand corrected, Steve!

I love the light and shadows! I'd have to be very careful not to sprain my ankle on such an uneven surface;-)