XXIV. Roma, the first and second

Captain’s Log: Monday, 7 August

Distance: 12km yesterday by foot, 10 today by foot

Soo, about yesterday first. We actually planned to leave before 8am, but unfortunately the reception did not open until after 8, so we had to wait a bit for it. We should have asked that the day before when we arrived. But we had a sweet little distraction while waiting.

He even tried to climb our bikes.

However, after some flat streets we had to get over another hill again. But the street was again in the shadows, and is was not that steep and not that long. At the end, we had the third lake.

Since it was not even midday, we decided to not stay here but to drive down to Rome already. And I mean literally down, because the streets have been downhill most of the time from there then.

I entered Rome in the north, coming to the Piazza del Popolo. From there all the exhaustion was forgotten. Even to heat was not that bad anymore due all the distraction. There were not many cars anymore, but lots of people. Fortunately the road was in the sun, so everyone tried to walk in the shadows, so I had an almost empty street to drive. And of course I had to do some Sightseeing already.

I mean, how often can you say that you are in Rome with your bicycle, coming from Austria?

To be honest, I do not want to know on how many pictures I am, driving like this with all my bags right through all the tourist places, but whatever.

There has been a lot of police and military standing around. They kind of blocked the roads for the cars, but I was still able to drive through.

I tried to find the best spot for a picture at the Colosseo then, driving around it.

The cobbled streets (Kopfsteinpflaster) have been a bit tricky, but whatever.

Here it is, the best spot. Yes, I finally arrived.

Afterwards I met up with Moritz again, who was there faster than me, and we found a hostel not too far from the centre. We even were able to put our bikes upstairs for safety. After resting, we got out again, mostly because we both wanted to have a Pizza, but I also wanted to have a look at the city again. 

I do not know how we still had the energy to walk so far after dinner, but we did walk over to the Vatican and the Petersplatz.

On our way back to the Hostel, we passed the Colosseo again. Usually I’m not the person who likes such, I do not know, kitschy pictures, bur come on.

The almost full moon behind the Colosseo? That was an impressive picture.

After driving 75km, and walking around another 12km, we arrived in the Hostel quite late. Our roommates have been sleeping already, so we did as well.

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Today, we allowed us to sleep in a bit. But not too long, since the free breakfast, the hostel is providing for us, has only been available until 10am. Afterwards, we relaxed a bit more, before we went out into the heat again for more sightseeing. 

Sometimes the interesting thing with all the famous spots is not the spot itself, even though they might be quite impressive, but how many people there always are.

At the Trevis Fountain we really had to push our way through all the tourists. 

Unfortunately I sort of forgot to take pictures with my phone then, but we also visited the Pantheon, the Piazza Navona, then we walked up to the Piazza del Popolo again and the park with the Passeggiata del Principo, before we returned over the Spanish Steps somehow back to the Hostel.

And again, so many people at the Spanish Steps. As you can see, most of them were standing in the shadows, so the huge mass almost parted in the middle. I do not know why, but I thought, it looked kinda funny.

Since going out for dinner is a bit expensive and since the hostel has a small kitchen, we decided to cook our own meal today.

We are going to stay two more nights here, before our way is going to part. Moritz will be continuing bicycling on Corsica, getting up to France and maybe to cooler weather, while I we be continung driving further south to Naples and Pompeii, before returning to Austria by bus and train.