Old Country Road

A long road through an almost endless valley is somehow perfect to set a tense mind at ease. Drivers can relax and feel as if this calm, beautiful countryside is all that remains in their world, and that the soft hum of the engine is a mother's humming to baby as they drift into quiet and peaceful serenity, knowing that they are safe and sound. You appreciate the absence of fast-food shops and tall buildings, and give thanks for such a lovely open road. The word country has developed from the Late Latin contra meaning "against", used in the sense of "that which lies against, or opposite to, the view", i.e. the landscape spread out to the view. From this came the Late Latin term contrata, which became the modern Italian contrada. Some people believe that roads originated from humans following animal trails, however this has not been universally accepted, since in many cases animals do not follow constant paths. The Icknield Way is given as an example of this type of road origination, where man and animal both selected the same natural line. By about 10,000 BC, rough pathways were used by human travelers. In 500 BC, Darius I the Great started an extensive road system for Persia (Iran), including the famous Royal Road, which was one of the finest highways of its time. From about 312 BC, the Roman Empire built straight strong stone Roman roads throughout Europe and North Africa, in support of its military campaigns. At its peak the Roman Empire was connected by 29 major roads moving out from Rome and covering 78,000 kilometers or 52,964 Roman miles of paved roads.