After a nine year absence and several discussions of visiting this country with Nathania for our 1-year anniversary, I was delighted to be back to one of my favourite European countries to visit. I love travelling Italy for many of the same reasons I chose to backpack: deep cultural history, amazing food, and tremendous sites to see. Upon landing in Rome, we took the Metro over to the Cipro station and walked over to our lovely and quaint B&B RomAntica. The owners were very friendly. Despite our early arrival, we were able to drop off our bags, get a quick breakfast from them, and head out to the Vatican for Mass. While we weren’t able to go into St. Peter’s Basilica, we watched the Mass on the big screens, and were later treated to a Papal blessing by Pope Francis out in St. Peter’s Square.
After Mass, we went back to the B&B, refreshed, and had our first lunch at a nearby cafe. After, we walked around Rome a bit, but got caught in the rain by the time we made it to Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. We got drenched by the time we got back to the B&B but dried off before going out to get some food from the grocery to eat in. We had an early rest in preparation for our train ride to Florence the next day.
