A weekend in between a work visit to Spain gave me the chance to explore 2 microstates in neighboring Italy. My flight from Barcelona to Rome was early in the morning. It wasn’t too long. I had booked a shuttle from the airport to Vatican City. The bus dropped me off a couple of blocks away.
There was some festival or event there that day, and there were devotees in huge numbers walking towards St. Peter’s Square. Regular tourists like me were able to reach St. Peter’s Square but could not go towards Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel directly.
I spent some time at St. Peter’s Square and got good views of the Saint Peter’s Basilica and the St. Peter’s Square Obelisk. I found out that the regular line for tourists was on the right and after reaching there figured out that it would take at least a few hours in that line to get in. I didn’t see the point in waiting around, so I changed my plan and decided to see the sights in Rome instead.
I walked along the Via della Conciliazione to see the Castel Sant’Angelo first. I saw the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II with Roman cityscape in the background and the St. Angelo Bridge over the Tiber River.
Next was the Corte Suprema di Cassazione, which was an impressive building. Looking back I could see the huge Saint Peter’s Basilica across the river.
From here I walked away from the river and into the city to see the Piazza Navona. This was a large square surrounded by restaurants and cafés and bars with 3 fountains: Fontana del Moro, Fontana del Nettuno, and the majestic Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi.
Next up was the Pantheon. There were huge lines to get in here as well. So after spending some time outside, I moved on.
I stopped to see the Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola with trompe l’oeil ceilings & frescoes depicting St Ignatius.
Next was Piazza di Trevi to see the famous Fontana di Trevi. Again, huge crowds to get to the fountain to see it up close. It was very difficult to get pictures without people in it. I think in this visit to Rome I had seen more tourist crowds than anywhere else in Europe.
The Trajan’s Forum was the remains of the Roman square, built in the 2nd-century, with a column celebrating victory over Dacia.
Next was the Colosseum, which was probably the most famous landmark that represents Rome. It was quite impressive. Nearby there was a kiosk dispensing cold still and sparkling water for free. This was very useful and many tourists were lining up to replenish their water bottles to stay hydrated in the heat.
After spending some time around the Colosseum, I walked back along the Via dei Fori Imperiali and saw the Tempio di Venere Genitrice.
The Altare della Patria, also known as the Vittoriano, is a large national monument in Rome built to honor Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of a unified Italy.
I walked past the Obelisco Esquilino and the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore on my way to Roma Termini.
I had some time before my train to Rimini, so I went to Wagamama for lunch.
I had booked my ticket on Frecciargento 8852 in advance. The train left on time, but it got dark soon and not much could be seen from the outside.
I used the time to relax because I had an early start and it had been a long day with lots of walking. We reached Rimini with a slight delay.
I went to the Burger King opposite the station for a quick dinner and then walked to the Sunflower City Backpacker Hotel where I would be staying for the night.
🍽️ Sala VIP Pau Casals
✈️ Vueling Airlines 6100
🚍 Shuttle Bus
🍽️ wagamama
🚆TrenItalia
🛏️ Sunflower City Backpacker Hotel