Some Trains Lead To Rome

From Venice (you can read about my experience by clicking on this link), my next destination was Rome, which I caught by a cheap high-speed train from Mestre to one of the two main trains stations in Rome. As I have already mentioned, high-speed train travel in Italy is cheap and comfortable, even more than in Germany.

In Rome, even relatively modern infrastructure is crumbling

The same though, can not be said for public transit in Rome. I was quick to notice that the ruins were not the only crumbling bits in Rome. In fact, with a lot of restoration work ongoing, it can be said that the ruins are in a far better state than the roads which have potholes here and there - but do not be mistaken, they are not like the potholes in Nairobi which at just the right speed, will ruin your tyres and suspension.

The pavements too were uneven here and there. In contrast to the state of the roads, public transit was still largely working, save for the regular bus that would miss its schedule and the heavy traffic around the city.

As for the ruins, Rome is the capital of ruins in the world, from the famous Colosseum to the less frequented aqueducts on the outskirts of Rome. Most of these attractions tend to be quite busy during the day and only offer some breathing time in the morning and as the sun sets in the evening.

There’s not much to be said about the restaurants and clubs of Rome, save the fact that it can be a pricey city given that it is also the capital, besides being a popular tourist destination. The popularity of the city to tourists is expected given attractions such as the Vatican - which unless you have some spiritual attachment to, does not offer much return for the time you spend queuing to get in.

A not so common view of the Colosseum

There is not much to be said about Rome, as you can tell from my review, but it remains popular.

Though all roads may lead to Rome, sometimes one has to take a road or rail out of the city. It therefore happened that on a Friday, I took a BusCenter bus headed to Florence, pronounced Firenze by the Italians.

Lots of tourists around the The Trevi Fountain. The other bit about Rome is that it’s teeming with tourists, like yourself

Be sure to click here for a comprehensive review of my visit to Florence, the Renaissance City. Alternatively, if you are brilliant enough you can get the book on Amazon to read about my entire trip all in one place.

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Dennis Kioko

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