Day 3. Vatican City and Evening Rome

I devoted the third day to the Vatican and prepared myself in advance for a lot of impressions. St. Peter's Cathedral makes a completely different impression in person, even if you have already seen it in photographs dozens of times before the trip. You stand inside and realize that it's just impossible to look at everything at the same time, so at some point I stopped trying to memorize every detail and just enjoyed being there.

St. Peter's Cathedral

After the Vatican, I decided to change the pace a bit and headed towards Trastevere. I really liked its small streets, old houses, balconies, laundry that dries completely without any desire to match tourist photos, and small restaurants where people quietly dine and talk. 

Santa Maria in Trastevere Square and fountain

I took turns several times where I had no intention of going at all, and each time I found something interesting, so I gradually stopped looking at the map and just allowed myself to get a little lost.

Republic Square

In the evening, I found myself back in the center of Rome and found myself thinking that the city was already beginning to become familiar. Of course, I could still easily get lost, but now I was doing it much more confidently, because I already knew several landmarks and had a rough idea of which way to go. For me, this is always a special moment in a journey – when a strange city gradually ceases to be a stranger.