Italy - Milan & Rome

I wasn't exactly sure where to go after Munich, other than to head 'South' and maybe pass through Italy. I jumped on the next train to Milan, which arrived after dark at the main station. Not a good idea. The area around the station was probably the dodgiest I've been in on my travels so far, with large groups of homeless and illegal immigrants acting very aggressively to passers by. I did not feel comfortable there. To make matters worse, I had not booked ahead any accommodation, hoping that my luck in Munich would be repeated here.

The centre itself wasn't too bad

Unfortunately, it wasn't, and I had to wander around the city at night with my bags looking for a place to stay. Everywhere was either far too expensive, or creepy, so after a bit of sightseeing I went back to the station and booked a place on an overnight train to Rome. I would have to sleep on the train instead!

Milan in a nutshell

The city centre itself was quite nice, although there was little to see, with the exception of the nicest shopping mall I've ever been in and the glorious Gothic church, the largest in the world. Obviously there were the ubiquitous designer shops all over the place, what with Milan being the capital of fashion, but that didn't particularly interest me and they were all closed anyway!

Even in a posh mall such as this, there is still a McDonalds!

The overnight train to Rome was not the relief I was hoping for. Despite being past 11pm, the digital display board outside the station read the temperature as 35C(!) and there was no air conditioning on the train. Or rather, there was, but it wasn't switched on until after several hours. Rather than fall asleep I think I may have passed out!

The enormous statues outside are wonderfully imposing

I made sure to call ahead to Rome and book a place in what seemed to be the only available hostel in the city. Arriving at about 9am at Roma Termini station, I set out into the bustling streets and caught a bus to the edge of the centre, past the Vatican, to the hostel. Surprisingly my bed was ready for me, but I resisted the temptation to sleep and went back out into the heat to begin sightseeing.

There's history all over the place

I braved the long queue for the Colosseum, which was definitely worth it in the end. It really is an almost magical place to be in, dripping with history and an amazing engineering achievement that has to be seen to be believed. The surrounding areas are also full of Roman ruins, perhaps not quite as impressive but equally interesting, although the sun really was wearing me down by that point.

St Peters Square and Basilica at night

After a good night's sleep, I devoted the entire next day to the Vatican. I started with the Basilica, which was until recently the largest place of worship in the world. It can hold a staggering 60,000 worshippers and the cavernous yet intricately detailed interior is absolutely stunning. Probably my favourite building I've ever visited, it really did take a long time to take it all in.

At the top of the Basilica

I climbed to the top of Cupola, which was exhausting but completely worth it, giving perhaps the best available view over Rome, looking out across St. Peters Square. The stairs to the top, especially the final few, would however cause a lot of problems for those with claustrophobia. I saw more than one person having a panic attack, which is not a nice thing to see!

Looking out across St Peters Square from the Basilica Cupola

Later, after visiting the tombs of the Popes, I went to arguably the main attraction - the Vatican Museums. Widely heralded as one of the best collections of art in the world, if not the best, I spent the entire afternoon gazing at some of the finest objects, engravings, paintings and sculptures created by man. The Last Judgement, the incredible fresco by Michelangelo covering an entire wall of the Sistine Chapel, is the star attraction. Luckily I managed to avoid most of the queues that form earlier in the day and walked straight in.

The Roman Colosseum

Of course, I spent much time simply wandering the streets of Rome, and also looking at the other famous sights such as the mythical Pantheon and the collection of beautiful fountains, notably the magnificent Fontana di Trevi. I could have spent an age in Rome (if not for the heat) but once again it was time to move on, this time to another famous Italian city.