It may be hard to see in the picture above, but there's a footbridge in this picture. And it's the one that Marivi and Rosa walked across when they spent their summers in Ambroa. That's it in the yellow circle. The bridge is 1.6 miles from our house by road but is probably less than half that as the crow flies. Until about 30 years ago, the new bridge (on the right side of the top picture) didn't exist. Neither did the road. Both were built sometime in the 1970s. The picture at the right was taken from the new bridge.

The roads around here are mostly 2-lane blacktops barely wide enough for two subcompact cars. When they were built, there were more farm machines than cars in the area. Some of the farmers here till two or more fields that aren't adjacent.Before the roads were built, getting from one to the other must have been a real chore when the ground was wet. These roads made it a lot easier for ox-carts (then) and tractors (now) to get around.

Two small cars can meet on the new bridge if both drivers are careful. But if either is a larger vehicle then one will have to wait. There is a sign on each side of the bridge indicating which direction has the right-of-way.

Obviously, the old footbridge isn't needed anymore and probably isn't safe to use. But I'm glad they didn't tear it down. It's part of the local history and it adds something to an already picturesque view.

Update: The footbridge has collapsed since this page was first posted.