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June & July 2005

Rome & Vatican City

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

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Trevi Fountain, we walked on to the Spanish Steps. At the base of the steps is an early Baroque fountain called the Barcaccia (the ugly boat), though it didn't look ugly to me. The Spanish Steps is at the heart of Rome's most exclusive shopping district, but we didn't explore much of the district. Well, when you're a pauper, you won't really want to look at all the branded stuff. Anyway, the Spanish Steps is a popular meeting point and it was a hub of activity when we were there. Tourists taking pictures, locals chilling out, singing at the top of their lungs, etc. An interesting point to note is that eating is forbidden on the steps though I don't know whether the rule's actually enforced. We decided to go to the top of the steps. It's actually quite a good place to relax and hang out with friends. From here, we decided to head back towards our hostel. It's been a long day and we were all dead tired.

The next morning, we got up early to go to the Vatican City. Walking down Via Cavour, we ended up near the Roman Forum again. However, we did not stay long. We figured that we'll be able to explore the forums upon our return from Arezzo in less than two week's time. And so we walked on. After walking for some time, we finally caught sight of Castel Sant'Angelo, a strange, circular tank of a building which was on the right bank of the Tiber River. Built between 135 and 139AD, Castel Sant'Angel was originally meant as a mausoleum. Later it was converted into a fortress, then a noble dwelling and finally a papal residence; between times it served as a barracks and a prison. Today, it's a museum and we had to cross a beautiful bridge, Pont Sant'Angelo, to get there. The bridge, said by many to be one of the most beautiful in the world, is lined with statues of angels.

After deciding not to pay to enter the museum, we headed towards the Vatican City. It's only a short ...