POST-TOUR ROME
ourlodging
Hotel Aberdeen
distancewalked
10 Miles
We had booked an extra night at our hotel, as did several other members of our group. Everyone had different agendas for the day and shared their experiences through the WhatsApp group chat. I guess no one was ready to say the final good-bye quite yet!
day17
The Best of Italy Tour ended after breakfast and though we sometimes catch a flight home the day the tour ends, it felt nice to know we didn't have to rush off. Kevin and I really wanted to spend time exploring the archeological site at Ostia Antica. We made a very short visit there in 2014 and knew we would need at least a half day to do it justice. It was an easy train ride from Rome and a perfect weather day to explore.
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Ostia Antica is an ancient Roman city with extremely well preserved buildings, frescoes and mosaics. It sits where the River Tiber meets the sea and is considered the port of Rome. It gives a similar experience to Pompeii but is closer to Rome and less crowded. All plusses in our book!
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We caught the train back to Rome in time to pick up tickets I had reserved for the Pope's General Audience the next day. Instead of going through the Vatican to get them, I used the Bishops’ Office for United States Visitors to the Vatican. There was a line but I'm sure it was much shorter than it would have been at the Vatican. (General Audience tickets are always free! You just have to reserve them ahead of time.)
ourlodging
LaScaletta Hotel, Ostia
distancewalked
6 Miles
day18
Awww...our last day in Rome and the end of our fabulous trip! For me, this day was the icing on the cake. Kevin was done with standing in lines, so I headed to the Vatican on my own at sunrise. I waited over an hour and a half to enter St. Peter's Square for Pope Leo's General Audience. These are held every Wednesday as his schedule allows. I engaged in conversation with others in line and met newlyweds from Texas in their wedding attire who would receive a special papal blessing during the audience. I also talked extensively with a young Czech who had been a foreign exchange student in a small town near my brother's family in Michigan. He loved being in the U.S. and was hoping to come back for college at the same school my niece graduated from. Yes, another small world encounter!
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I picked a spot along a barrier when I finally entered St. Peter's Square. It turned out to be the ideal spot! Pope Leo, who is the first American Pope and fellow Illinoisan, stopped right in front of me and blessed several babies. I stood with my Canon in one hand clicking blindly and my phone in the other hand videoing. I ended up getting some amazing shots that I'll chalk up to divine intervention! I wish I could post them all but suffice to say it was a blessed experience. The message of peace that was shared by the Pope and other VIP's is needed more than ever in our world.
We took the Metro train to Ostia after grabbing our last Italian pizza at a place across from the Hotel Aberdeen frequented by military personnel working nearby. Our last night in Italy was spent along the coast in Ostia where we have stayed before. It is very close to the airport and the view from the hotel is lovely.
On the way to the airport, our taxi driver gave us some other sightseeing suggestions in case we ever return to the area--which we may very well do!
Venice • Dolomites • Lake Como • Florence • Italian Riviera • Siena • Umbria • Rome •
Our journey ends. . .
Alla prossima!
With bags packed and passports in hand, we flew from Rome's FCO to Chicago's ORD.
Thank you for sharing our journey through these scrapbook memories. We hope you were inspired to pack your bags and head to Italy, or perhaps somewhere else in Europe. You can check out all of Rick's tours at the link below.
Our next tours are booked for 2026 and we can't wait. Perhaps we will see you in Belgium and Holland this spring, or Germany in the fall.
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Let's Keep on Travelin'
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Teri & Kevin
