Summary

The article recounts Days 12–14 of a 28-day European bus tour, focusing on the experiences in Orvieto and Rome, including sightseeing, local culture, and personal reflections.

Abstract

The travelogue details the author's journey through the Italian towns of Orvieto and Rome during Days 12–14 of a month-long European bus tour. In Orvieto, the author captures the charm of the hilltop town with photographs and recalls a memorable pork roll lunch. The transit to Rome featured a screening of "Gladiator," setting the mood for the ancient city's exploration. Highlights in Rome include visits to iconic landmarks such as the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, and Vatican City. The author notes the intense heat, prevalent gelato, and the vigilance against pickpockets. Despite the exhaustive sightseeing and tourist crowds, the author appreciates the significance of Rome and expresses a desire to return during the off-season.

Opinions

The author expresses fatigue from constant travel but looks forward to the upcoming downtime on Pag Island.
The author finds the town of Orvieto charming and appreciates the views and local food.
Watching "Gladiator" en route to Rome is seen as a thematic choice that enhances the anticipation of arriving in the ancient city.
The author is skeptical about a potential pickpocketing attempt on public transport in Rome, highlighting the city's reputation for such incidents.
The author is impressed by the Colosseum and Roman Forum, considering them must-see attractions despite not having pre-booked for the underground tour of the Colosseum

That Time I Did a 28-Day European Bus Tour — Part 7 (Orvieto and Rome)

This article will cover Days 12–14 of the tour

Here is a link to Part 6 of my story if you haven’t read it:

That Time I Did a 28-Day European Bus Tour — Part 6 (Pisa and Florence)

This article will cover Days 10–11 of the tour

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So we are almost halfway through the tour now. By now, I’m starting to get a bit tired of all the constant travelling. But on Day 16, we will be going to Pag Island in Croatia for three nights, which I believe was intended to be the “downtime” in the middle of the trip.

And we get to go to Rome today, which is exciting. But first, we will be stopping at a charming town called Orvieto, which is somewhere in Tuscany. We were there for maybe a couple of hours in the middle of the day (generally the groups splits up, wanders around and meet back at a certain time) and here are a few pictures I took while we were there:

I don’t remember the historical significance of this but it fits with the town. Photo by author

As you can tell, the town is located at the top of a hill, which gives it some great views of the Tuscan countryside. And I remember having some sort of pork roll for lunch and being served by some nice Italian woman (who told me I was “rich” because I had a large Euro note in my hand; make of that what you will).

When we were done, we got back on the bus and left, and they would have played this song again, which I’m probably starting to get a bit sick of by now (and it will forever remind me of this trip).

Another thing they sometimes did on the bus was they shut the curtains and played movies. I remember watching The Hangover (which I had seen) and Remember the Titans (which I hadn’t). But this time we watched Gladiator. I probably don’t need to explain why they chose to pay Gladiator on the way to Rome.

Once again, we stayed in a camping village outside of Rome and we took public transport into Rome. Here are a few memories of my time in Rome:

I saw sights such as the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona.
It was hot when I was there (in late August) and water bottles were available everywhere on the streets. Considering all the walking around we were doing, it was much appreciated.
It was the only place I went to in Europe where I suspect pickpocketing was attempted on us. I was with (I think) two others in my tour group and a boy and girl were wandering up and down the train. One was playing an instrument and another was collecting donations. It seemed very suspicious. That being said, other cities like Paris, Barcelona and Prague are also known for pickpockets, but I don’t remember noticing it at much in those cities as I did in Rome.
Gelato was once again available everywhere in the streets. Which was great.
I saw the Colosseum, which was awesome. This is one tourist attraction that is worth seeing in my opinion. However, you had to pre-book to see the ruins underneath the Colosseum, which we hadn’t. But it was still great to see the Colosseum, in any case.
I saw the Roman forum, which (not being a history buff) I didn’t know anything about it beforehand, but it was still worth seeing. Same with the Pantheon (although I had seen pictures of that building before).
We saw the Vatican City. If I ever return to Rome then I make sure that I see it again because I don’t remember that much of it. It happens when you see a lot in a short space of time. But I think that it is more or less what you would imagine it to be.

Here a few pictures I took during my time in Rome:

Is this where the Parliament is? Photo by author

Ruins at the Roman forum. Photo by author

This one was taken in Nice but the cars were parked the same way in Rome and other cities. Photo by author

So in my two nights in Rome, it was mostly the sightseeing, the heat and the tourists that I remember. But it was worth a visit. And I would visit again but maybe in the off-season when it’s cooler and there are less tourists.

Just to clarify, we were in Rome for two nights but if I recall, we saw the Vatican City on the morning of Day 14 and then departed for Venice. So this article does cover part of Day 14.

To be continued…