Summer Travel 2023 – Rome – Aug 21

Rolling Tsuchinoko

Sep 23

I felt a bit of trepidation before my train pulled into Roma Termini. Things had been steadily going downhill after I left Florence. Of course, there were some highlights along the way, but I wasn't sure what to expect upon entering the City of Seven Hills. If Naples, the third largest city was a massive dump, what would the biggest city in Italy look like? I was already slightly annoyed because some moron had to bring his constantly yapping dog on the train. Why do people have to bring their dogs with them everywhere? If you have to bring them along, keep them quiet. Idiot.

As I pulled into the station, my eyes were once again assaulted by graffiti and broken windows in every building that bordered the tracks. Great. More urban blight. Well, train and bus stations are always gross. My train got into the station and made my way to my Airbnb. While the streets weren't pristine, they were much cleaner than those in Naples. Small sample size to be sure, but things were looking up.

Not only were things looking up, Rome turned out to be an absolutely incredible city. Once you make it into the central core of the city, you are surrounded by history. Not just any old history, but the most influential history in Western civilization. As you travel around Europe, you can find remnants of the Roman Empire scattered around the continent.

Once you are in central Rome, you are inundated with the remains of the empire concentrated into about six square km of territory. Rome is more than just ruins though. There are also fountains, buildings, and plazas, which are all works of art, that span the centuries to the current day.

I had a lot of places I wanted to see saved on my Maps, so I dropped off my stuff and immediately hit the city. And see the city I did. According to Maps, I walked 20 km that day. It probably wasn't 20, but 15 would not surprise me. I made a loop around the city because the next day I would be going to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. You can't just walk into those places anymore. You have to book ahead for tickets and request a day and time. I know you can't always choose when to travel, but if you have a choice, I think I would recommend Rome in the winter. The crowds in summer are suffocating.

As the day turned into night I was at the Castel Sant'Angelo and since it was my first day in Rome, I wasn't totally familiar with the layout of the city. I was getting tired after my epic march around the city and decided it was time to get home and get some rest. Now I just had to figure out how to get there. I plugged the coordinates into my phone and got my directions. While GPS is a helpful bit of technology, things get a little confusing as you walk the twisted streets of an ancient city. I felt as if I wasn't making much progress until I turned a corner. And then there it was lit up in its full glory, the facade that may be one of the most famous ones in the world. The Colosseum. Once I saw that, I knew I was almost home.

It was a long, but great day. I was exhausted but energized at the same time. Walking the streets of one of the greatest cities of Western civilization will have that effect on you. I would have to get up early the next morning to do one of the things I was most excited to do on this trip, see the inside of the Colosseum. More on that day coming soon.