Sometimes while traveling the most unexpected things are the most enriching and rewarding.

This next map shows my whole journey across the three countries in Europe. I started in Rome and ended in Santiago Spain. When I finished that whole pilgrimage I still had another ten days I could spend in Europe before my return flight out of Rome. So, I returned to Rome and spent eight more nights there.

And... it was a wonderful experience. I really got to relax, take my time, and experience Rome in a different way. I am very grateful for these extra days! I will tell you more about it.

By the time I got to these last days of my pilgrimage (I was there a total of ten weeks) my money was getting really tight. I had to be careful. But I managed to get a bed in the absolute cheapest hostel in all of Rome. And it really showed. The place was run down and crowded. It had no air conditioning but it did have a ceiling fan with a light in it. But...we could only have either the light or the fan on at the same time!

There was something wrong with it. If you had the light on at the same time as the fan the light would blink on and off like a strobe light. It was rather comical.

It was pretty crowded, three bunk beds stuffed into one small room. And over the eight days different people came and went - travelers just stopping in for a day or two. But I was happy and satisfied. These eight days were a great opportunity for me to unwind from the challenge of the previous nine weeks and the 500 mile walk across Spain.

But above all else

I had the opportunity to take my time and Really see Rome, from a different perspective. Instead of being a tourist rushing from site to site. I could take my time, adventure around the city from sun up to sun down. And pick and choose different experiences and things to see.

And instead of toting my 30 pound backpack everywhere I went I left it in the hostel and traveled around with a smaller day backpack containing my valuables like my cameras and electronic stuff. And after the pilgrimage, being able to do that was a really big deal for me. It literally took a heavy weight off my shoulders.

Every evening I would talk to locals staying in the hostel, review my guide books and check my maps; making a plan for what I would do the next day.

And the following morning I would get up early, take a shower and head out into Rome. I was a ten minute walk from a beautiful square with a church, a fountain and a small grocery store.

I would go to that square, stop in the grocery store and pick up some foods for the day. Then I would go to the square and sit at the fountain, make myself some breakfast, make my lunch and pack it away, then do some people watching.

That was a beautiful routine that I did every morning and it really was joyous for me. I relaxed and enjoyed Rome from a different perspective.

Here is a look at the church on one side of my every morning plaza. The little grocery store is off camera behind me. It is the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.

Here is a look inside the Basilica. I love this picture. I got lucky to get this. It is a terrific picture, but, the basilica is absolutely breathtaking.

Here is another angle of my plaza. The elderly woman asking for alms was there daily. I got to help her and watch her for a little while every day. She didn't spend a lot of time at the plaza before she moved on. The man with the backpack at his feet is sitting at the water fountain where I sat every morning.

Here is a tourist map of Rome. The two red arrows show you where this (my daily) plaza is located. My nearby hostel is really cheap but in a great location. Not far from the train station and within walking distance of almost all of the major attractions in Rome. Let's hit some of the tourist spots I saw during these eight days.

The Piazza Navona

One of the other guests at the hostel (A native Roman) suggested I visit the Piazza Navona, particularly for the fountains there. It is a city square with a long history and three famous fountains. It is called a square but it is actually a rectangle!

The most famous of the fountains is right in the middle of the square. You can see it in the picture above (obelisk). It is the Fountain of the Four Rivers. It is early baroque in style and it was designed by Bernini in 1651. I have a video about Bernini on my website here

The four winds represent the four rivers of the four continents that the papacy had spread to at the time - Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. And each wind is surrounded by plants and animals that represent it's continent.

A second fountain on one end of the plaza is the Fontana del Moro.

And the third fountain, on the other end of the plaza is the Fountain of Neptune.

The Piazza del Popolo

Off to one side of the plaza I saw a long set of stairs going upward, mostly occluded by trees. But I saw a lot of people going up and down those steps so I figured I would give it a look. I went up there and got a great view of the Piazza del Popolo. I think that is the dome of the Basilica off in the distance.

And for fun I will travel along with Audrey Hepburn from her movie "Roman Holiday", visiting some of the locations in the film. You can check that out here: Will and Audrey Hepburn on a Roman Holiday

Who is that slim and handsome man with Audrey on the Spanish steps?