The Roving, Ronin Hare

St Peter's Square, 12 September 2023. The Vatican. The smallest nation on earth is also the holiest. Roman Catholic Church, the largest religion in the world, has its capital in the micro-state of Vatican City.  We visited its hallowed grounds during our Rome explorations. It is officially my fourth country after the Philippines, U.A.E., and Italy. We were there by a couple of hours on two separate days while still staying in Rome. Despite its small size, the Vatican is grand in many respects. No less than the pope is its sovereign head. Its main basilica is massive. And of course, several ancient artifacts and paintings are kept within its hallowed halls. Arrival One of the alleys we passed by on our way to Vatican. Completely surrounded by the larger city of Rome in Italy, the Vatican can be accessed by mere walking. You just need to present your passport before entry. No need for plane or bus tickets. Even on our way, we saw instagrammable sights We haven't taken our breakfa...

A view of the Colosseum Rome, the city for all eternity where we've seen massive structures dating back to antiquity, was part of our itinerary. It's not the most beautiful city we've been to, but it nevertheless has its charm due to its sheer historical value. It is, after all, one of the oldest inhabited cities on earth and was the center of everything during the Ancient Times. As the cliche goes, all roads lead to Rome. Arrival Roma Termini Train Station After exploring cosmopolitan Florence, Rome was our next destination. Just like the other cities, train was our mode of transportation. Everybody knows that Rome is an ancient city that still stands today, but I didn't expect that pieces of evidence of its age are evident even on a train station. The photo above shows a mural that seems to date back to around 500 AD. I've tried to google about this mural but no success. It looks really old, ancient to me, so I was surprised that a train station, which is a creatu...