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JKW on The Mystery Road To comment on any posting, click on the word 'Comments' at the end of the item. |
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« Catching up on readers' comments: American shoes, Audrey Hepburn, KFC | Main | Italian shoes: A season of flat-heeled boots » November 15, 2005The Mystery RoadAbout a half of an hour drive southeast of Rome there lies a mysterious road where the locals come to experience the strange uphill pull that seemingly defies gravity. Last Saturday I strolled through the hillside park of Rocca di Papa, a city set at a high elevation with wonderful views (webcam) of the distant Mediterranean. After watching the sun sink into the glassy water and the blazing colors of orange and pink fade, my boyfriend and I took the car to Via dei Laghi, the mysterious road located between Nemi and Aricia. The car first descended on the road, and as we began to ascend, my boyfriend let his foot off the gas. Normally, this would slow us down on an uphill slant -- but, lo and behold, we actually gained speed! It was kind of freaky, but after about thirty seconds the car reacted to the gravity and began to slow down. It's a cool thing to try out a couple of times, but I later read on a Web site that it's actually an optical illusion -- the section of the road in the center of the ascension is actually flat, but since the sections before and after it are slanted, it also appears slanted. The real mystery is how few accidents occur on that road: A busy stretch with half the drivers spontaneously letting off the gas mixed with Italian maneuvering techniques makes it pretty dangerous. Posted by Kelsea CommentsRocca di Papa is certainly not one of the more glamorous parts of Italy. That uphill acceleration you describe can also be found on a road in Canada called Magnetic Hill, just over the New Hampshire border. And yes it is an optical illusion. I hope you get to attend the Winter Olympics in Torino. It would be great if you could post some reports from there. Best wishes. JKW Posted by: JKW at November 17, 2005 1:39 PM |
Kelsea Brennan-Wessels is a sophomore at The American University of Rome |
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Comments
Rocca di Papa is certainly not one of the more glamorous parts of Italy. That uphill acceleration you describe can also be found on a road in Canada called Magnetic Hill, just over the New Hampshire border. And yes it is an optical illusion.
I hope you get to attend the Winter Olympics in Torino. It would be great if you could post some reports from there.
Best wishes.
JKW
Posted by: JKW | November 17, 2005 1:39 PM