When we talk of Italy, pizza and pasta always comes to mind.  But more than that, Italy is also a land of art and architecture.  It is evident in structures, even just in Rome.

It was already late when we got to FCO (Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport) via Vueling Airlines.  We were just in time to catch some of the last bus trips to the city (Roma Termini station).  We took the Terravision bus for Euro5/person to city center.  I think when you buy online, it'll just cost Euro4.  We got to the city in about an hour, there's no more traffic at that time.  We looked for our accommodation for the night which is just walking distance from the Roma Termini station.  There are some personnel in the station that you could ask for directions of hotels.  Actually, if you still don't have any, they'll offer you one.

Terravision bus tickets

Below is our day-to-day itinerary in Italy.

Day 1:
- Check in at Affittacamere Fanti B&B

Day 2:
- Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
- Moved to San Peter Angels
- Vatican Museum
- St. Peter's Square / St. Peter's Basilica
- Castel Sant Angelo
- Santa Maria Del Carmelo In Traspontina

Day 3:
- Colosseum
- Piazza del Popolo
- Piazza Spagna / Spanish Steps / Trinita dei Monti
- Triton Fountain / Piazza Barberini
- Trevi Fountain
- Pantheon
- Piazza Navona

Day 4:
- Pisa and Florence
-
Day 5:
- Palm Sunday Mass at St. Peter's Square

* I'll update itinerary links as it becomes available

Our last day coincides with Palm Sunday and since we're attending the mass at St. Peter's Square, we went to Roma Termini to leave our luggage (left luggage in Roma Termini).  Cost is Euro 6 for every piece of baggage for the first 5 hours, 6th to 12th hour is Euro 0.90/hour, and Euro 0.40 for each additional hour after the 12th hour.

We took the Leonardo Express train from Roma Termini to FCO for Euro 14/person.  We could have taken the bus to save on cost but we're worried about traffic.  There's no specific time indicated in the tickets that we bought at the station.  We were told that it can be used at any time.  As with other trains, just be sure to have it validated in one of the machines in the station before boarding the train.

Roma Termini

Leonardo Express train tickets

Ticket Validation Machine [image from source]

Dichiarazione di Presenza (Declaration of Presence)

When I got my passport (with visa) back from the Italian Embassy, it came with the notice below.  It was stated that "upon entry, you are required to declare your presence in Italy to the border authorities (ensuring that the passport is stamped) or, if you are entering Italy from another Schengen country, to the territorially competent Questura (Police Station) within 8 working days from the date of entry in Italy".  My friend, who applied for her visa in Singapore, didn't have this notice when she received her passport back.

Notice from the Italian Embassy

I did some research on this and found out that this is called Dichiarazione di Presenza (Declaration of Presence).  More information on this site.

"For those staying in hotels and other reception facilities, the declaration of presence is handled by the reception facility upon check-in, a copy of which is supplied to the guest to be displayed to authorities upon eventual request."

Based on the statement above, it seems that this should be handled by our accommodation.  Hopefully, they have done this as I'm not sure what to show the authorities when asked for this document.  I've seen a sample of the form from a website but I haven't gotten any document that looks like it.  Our hosts did copy some information from my passport and my friend's passport though but we only got a receipt from both accommodations, which I kept hoping it will serve as declaration of presence when asked.  Well, I don't know if that would work but I'm thankful we were not asked by any police/authority for it.

Receipt from both accommodations

Palm Sunday in Vatican

Being a Catholic, it is one of my wishes to attend a papal mass in Vatican.  It is actually one item in the itinerary we submitted to the embassy.  We gather that the Pope have general audiences on Wednesdays (check schedule here or here) and tickets to the events are free.  Tickets can be scheduled in advance by writing to them.  [More information on papal audience tickets here.]  We passed on this since our arrival in Rome is on a Wednesday evening.

We were exploring Vatican on a Thursday.  On our way back to St. Peter's Square from Vatican Museum, we passed upon a gate and took our chance if that's where we could get tickets.  Seems like Lady Luck is with us, we were able to get tickets from the Swiss Guards at the gate!  Woohoo!

Location on where to get tickets from papalaudience.org (source)

Bronze door

Bronze door

Swiss guard at the bronze door

Swiss guard giving ticket

Our tickets to Palm Sunday mass

Please take note that tickets do not guarantee entrance to the event.  When the area is already full, gates will be closed.  Come early to be able to have a greater chance to get in.  For Palm Sunday, gates opened at 7:30AM, even if mass is at 9:30AM.  We were there around 8:00AM and the line is already long.  Persons going into the square need to pass through security scanners, where tickets would also need to be presented.  We were given a postcard and missalette upon entry.  There were already lots of people, mostly seated on the front areas, when we got in.

Line of people going into St. Peter's Square

My ticket, postcard and missalette served as my souvenir

We were able to buy mini-palms (Euro 2 each) on the way to St. Peter's.  We later on learned that there are some olive tree branches being given to those attending the event.  We haven't really seen where people got the branches but we were able to ask some from our "seatmates".  I think they use more of the olive tree branches than palms here.  We've actually seen these branches being brought inside churches and placed in front of altars the past days, we just didn't know what it is and what's it for... Now, we know.

It was only a matter of minutes and the square was already filled with people.  Good thing that we were there early and were able to secure a seat.  Now, it's time for pictures.

Our mini-palm with St. Peter's Basilica in the background

The altar

Captured from one of the big screens in the venue

It was around 9:15AM, when the procession for the blessing of the palms started.  It took about 40 minutes for the whole entourage to get into the center of the square, blessing of the palms and for them to go to the main altar.

Procession

Procession

Procession

Procession

Blessing of the palms

Pope Francis on the way to the main altar

The next 2 hours was spent for the mass proper.

• Nobody is allowed to loiter during the celebration.
• Security is everywhere to maintain orderliness and solemnity of the mass.
• The mass is in Italian language but with the help of the missalette, we were able to follow.  
• Each prayer in Prayer of the Faithful is spoken in different languages, the last one is in Filipino.  
• Communion is facilitated by a priest in every aisle to serve a lot of mass goers.  We were just near an aisle so it was easy for us to line up.  I think there was just a certain number of minutes for the communion and then the priests had to go back to the altar even if there's still a line for it.  
• The last part was Angelus, although it's still 10 (or was it 15) minutes before 12NN.  

To preserve the solemnity of the mass, I have just taken very few pictures during the celebration.

During the mass

Filipino-looking priest facilitating communion

We stayed a bit longer after Pope Francis got into the pope mobile then we started on our way out, only to find out that we cannot go out yet.  Why?  The gates are still closed, Swiss guards and other security are making sure nobody blocks/goes through the aisles.  That means we have to wait until we are allowed to go out of the area we're in.  It seems that Pope Francis is still doing a round in the crowd aboard the pope mobile.  I was about 2 persons away from the blockade and am standing in a chair so I got a good view.  This was when I saw that the street (from the area near Castel Sant Angelo) leading to St. Peter's Square is full of people who attended the mass.  Too bad I hadn't been able to take a picture of that.

After a few minutes of waiting, we saw Pope Francis coming.  I was star-strucked (and blessed) when I saw him up-close.

People waiting for Pope Francis

Here comes the Pope

Pope Francis aboard the pope mobile

Pope Francis aboard the pope mobile

Pope Francis up-close

All in all, it was an awesome experience.  It was the longest mass I attended but it was all worth it.  Good thing we bought some water and light snacks with us as it was already 1PM when we got out.

Mission accomplished!

I've read in some forums that day trip to Pisa and Florence is possible.  A train from Roma Termini can get you to Firenze SMN station (Florence) and transfer to another train going to Pisa.  If we were only sure of the time we would be able to get to Termini, we would have gotten the ticket from the website to avail of their promo (2x1 special offer on Saturdays).

Anyways, we started late on a Saturday and bought our tickets at the ticketing machine in Roma Termini station.  I wasn't able to use my credit card in the machine as it's requesting for PIN, which my card doesn't have.  So, we paid in cash.

By the way, we chose the option for us to be able to select seats.  We chose 1C and 1D.  But I guess we should have left it as it is.  The seats that were assigned to us are indeed 1C and 1D, but on different cars.  We spent the (almost) 2-hour ride on different cars of the train.  Boo!  On the way back to Rome, we just let the machine select the seats for us and it gave us better seats... window seats for both of us, facing each other.

Train Tickets

Important:  Validate your ticket in one of the machines before hopping on your train, or it may result in fines.  We were not able to validate our tickets on one trip, good thing the officer who checked our tickets gave us some consideration since we're tourists.

Ticket Validation reminder

When we got to Firenze SMN station, we transferred to platform 1A (leftmost platform when facing the trains) for the train to Pisa Centrale.  We had our lunch at Pisa Centrale before proceeding to our destination.

Tip on using W.C. at Pisa Centrale station: Euro 0.60 has to be paid upon entering the W.C. but if you would be able to present a receipt from the food stalls in the station, you can enter for free.  In case you enter the W.C. first before buying food, you can present the receipt given by the staff at the W.C. entrance to the counter so that the Euro 0.60 will be deducted from your bill. 

Before leaving the station, we bought our bus tickets from the newspaper stand.  A ticket cost Euro 1.20.  We bought 2 tickets each so that we have a ticket going back.  Validation of ticket is inside the bus.  It seems though that a ticket is valid for 70 minutes, at least that's what we understood from BGL. 70 MIN. PISA word in the ticket.  If so, and you'll just be staying for less than an hour in Pisa Tower, you would just need 1 ticket.

Pisa bus tickets

Upon getting out of the station, cross the street and wait for the LAM Rossa bus (red bus) to Pisa Tower (bus stop 'Torre').  I got information about Pisa transportation from this site.  Most of the other passengers get off at this stop.  Going back to the station, cross the street and hop on the same bus to the train station.

Map of the area

One needs to have a ticket to enter the cathedral.  You can get it for free inside the Sinopie Museum.  Other areas have entrance fees.

Welcome to Piazza del Duomo

Miniature inside Sinopie Museum Other people might have been laughing at us taking picture of this miniature when the real thing is just outside.

Pisa Cathedral ticket

Pergamo di Giovanni Pisano

The pictures below are taken in the piazza, with more focus on the cathedral and the tower.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

On the way back to Rome, we passed by Florence again so we decided to roam around a bit before boarding the train.  I just hoped we could have stayed here a bit longer.

Below are some pictures we took in Florence.  We just followed the direction where we saw the dome from the train and we were able to get to it by foot from the station.
 

On the way to the Duomo

On the way to the Duomo

Il Duomo di Firenze (Florence Cathedral)

After about a short 30-45 minutes stay in Florence, we were on our way back to Rome.

Countryside view between Florence and Rome