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June & July 2005

Rome & Vatican City

Jeremy Koh
2005-11-05 11:48:59

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and chill as the sun sets over the eternal city.

As twilight approaches, the lights in the Vatican City start coming on and it was a beautiful sight. Of course we couldn't let this moment go by without snapping some pictures. Soon, it was time to go. We had to catch some sleep before boarding the 6am flight the next day. We walked back along the Tiber River. Below us, stretches of sand and synthetic grass have been trucked in to form an artificial beach along the banks of the river. Meanwhile, loud music was blaring out of the bars and restaurants and people were dancing. It was really a party atmosphere. Later on, as I searched through the internet, I realized that this 600 foot long stretch of artificial beach was created as part of efforts to bring people back to the river, and this artificial beach will remain there for three months, till mid-September.

We continued walking. We're trying to head for the nearest Metro station. It was the Spagna station beside the Spanish Steps. We decided to head there. Soon, we reached the Piazza di Spagna where the Spanish Steps were. As before, it was a hive of activity. Lots of people were sitting on the steps, people were singing at the top of their lungs, tourists were snapping pictures and we were hurrying to the metro station, but not before grabbing some grub from a hole-in-the-wall eatery just beside the station. After we entered the station, we realized to our dismay that the station was closed. After going through our options, we decided to walk back. It was a long walk. Back at the hostel, we lost no time in packing our luggage, washing up and getting to bed.

Barely two hours later at around 4am, we woke up to head towards Termini Station to board the bus that will take us to Ciampino Airport. Soon, we were on our way to the airport. It was a short ride. The airport terminal itself is small and nondescript. Despite it being only 5am, there was already a large crowd in there waiting to check-in. We found our counter and proceeded to check-in. After checking-in, we went to the departure area and bought some food. Soon it was time to part ways with Serene. She was going to London, while me and Prema were going to Paris. Suddenly, all the people stood up and rushed towards the doors. It was time to board the Ryanair flight. As it was free-seating, everybody was rushing to the front to ensure that they got good seats. After queuing up for a long time, we finally got on the shuttle bus that brought us to the plane. But the story doesn't end there. After all the passengers were seated in the plane, the pilot announced that one of the stewardess was caught in a traffic jam. Therefore, our flight would be delayed while we waited for her. How exciting! Anyway I don't really know what happened after that as I fell asleep, but eventually after about an hour, our plane finally took off. If you happen to be taking a flight from Rome to Paris, do keep your eyes peeled for the Italian Alps. It's a very beautiful sight.

About two hours later, we arrived in Paris. But well, that's another story.