Running in Rome: sightseeing is another sport!

I spent 2 nights in Rome, on my way to a wedding on the Adriatic. I spent the second and full day at the Vatican, from 8 to 5, kind of a day at the tourist office! The museums and the Sistine Chapel of course, in the morning, a brief sighting of the Pope's car as he was leaving the public audience, the Saint Peter, with a climb to the very top of the its dome, by the stair case, the ultra way! (There is an elevator option.) I had planned on running through Rome to come back to my hotel but it was hot and I was toasted. It might be embarrassing to admit, I've always found easier to run for hours, than visiting a museum! The slow pace, the incessant stopping, not my sport! But, once in a while, you have to absorb such a wealth of history and culture, it would be a shame to miss that place.

It was also my 71th country visited to date. I have to say that this was a bit special. First, no border to cross, I was wondering and I was carrying my passports, in case. Second, I prefer when I stay at least one night in these countries, as an eligibility minimum. Like I'm not counting countries I just changed planes. But getting a room at the Vatican is something better suited to cardinals, occasionally!

So, no run on Wednesday but a short tour of Rome upon arrival on Tuesday afternoon, before work meetings through the evening.

It wasn't my first time in Rome but it had been years and for work meetings. I had seen on Google Maps that the Coliseum was open until 7:30 pm, that was my first target. I arrived there around 6:15 but they weren't taking any more visitors, just letting those in finish their tour.

From there, I hopped on the huge cobblestones of the Forum, then continued toward the Pantheon.

It was the first week of September: slightly less tourists than May-August but still quite a crowd to navigate through or around on the sidewalks. Plus locals as the weather was great and kids are still on their summer break. Hence the title, this is quite a sport which requires high focus and many stops to take the street traffic into account.

Enough words, a video fly over with pictures is worth a million, in a much more compact and convenient way, there you are (click on this link or the picture below).

As usual, that does not replace a real visit, I hope you have the opportunity if you haven't been to Rome and the Vatican already. As they say, all roads lead to Rome!