When in Rome...

2019 BC (Before Covid)

I used to travel a lot back in 2019.  The trips were mostly for work, and a couple of times for leisure.  When COVID happened and borders shut down, well at least, hubby and I had fun travel memories to go back to.  Out of this situation, I began to truly appreciate the value of travel experiences over fancy, material things. 

Hello (once again), World! 

Today I did a quick experiment using the Canva app to share my trip to Rome and Vatican through this blog.  I'm not a photographer or videographer, though.  I just kinda felt that may be a photo and video collage would be sufficient to sum up our visit.  Scroll down for the link.  

Weeks before traveling

• Booked a flight from Berlin to Rome via Ryanair website
• Booked a hotel near the Vatican through Agoda - it was mainly intended for our 7am hassle-free Vatican guided tour
• Booked guided tours (small group only)

Five-day itinerary

Monday evening:  Hubby and I arrived at the Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport from Berlin. We participated in the 2019 Berlin Marathon, which I intend to share through another blog. 

Tuesday morning:  Guided tour of the Vatican Museum, including Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.  There was no wheelchair access at the Vatican Museum.  If you are planning to visit in the future and you're gonna need wheelchair access, please check up-to-date information from the museum's official website.  

Tuesday afternoon: Guided tour of the Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill

Wednesday morning:  Papal Audience at the Vatican.  Then we also had a quick lunch just outside the walls of the Vatican.  The hole-in-the-wall restaurants there are serving some of the best paninis and gelatos in all of Rome.  

Wednesday afternoon:  Walking and Food Tour - Antica Salumeria (their Prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella are the best), Pantheon, Fontana de Trevi, Hosteria del Mercato, Pompi Tiramisu, and the Spanish Steps.

Thursday morning:  Rest.  Laundry (it was our 2nd week in EU) 

Thursday and Friday afternoon:  We went back to the Spanish Steps to dine and shop. 

Saturday morning:  Airport ---> homebound

Getting around:  walking, taxi, Uber 

Bottomline:  If you're the kind of traveler who appreciates or at least curious about culture / history / religion / cuisine / architecture - Rome and Vatican should be in your bucket list.  

Oh, and the weather.  We were there first week of October.  I enjoyed a healthy dose of sunshine and cool evenings.  Be sure to bring a bottle of water during your day tour - you'll do a lot of walking.  I don't normally drink water from the tap; but during this trip, I refilled my water bottle from the tap a couple of times.  I was fine. :) 

Nature and Self-love

Be kind to yourself. Get that much needed rest. 

Reaching for your dreams is not always about sprints. It is oftentimes a marathon. Longevity is as important as perseverance and dedication. 

Meditate. Pray. 

Commune with nature. It relaxes the mind and body. It heals the spirit. 

How do I sustain my running / jogging-walking / walking routine?

I'm able to stick to my running routine for almost a year now. This has been my longest streak since 2013.  I'm not going to assert that the routine I'm sharing through this blog is for everyone.  I'm just going to share what works for me.  My ultimate goal is to stay healthy, while training and participating in a full marathon will always be an add-on accomplishment.  

In case you're thinking about starting a similar cardio routine, please consult your doctor first. It will help you obtain the full health benefits out of your (new) exercise routine.  

Not so long ago... 

I ran 2 full marathons, plus a practice marathon between 2016 and 2019. I was about to join Chicago back in 2020, but we all know what happened to the world at that time. 

Jog-walk in the new normal 

After several lockdowns and borderline hypertensive episodes while working from home, I finally had the motivation to go back to running (jog-walk) around September of 2021. I can still recall my first 15 minutes on the treadmill - I was like fish out of the water. 

How do I sustain my running / jogging - walking / walking routine?  Just keep doing it.  I listen to my body while I'm at it.  Being mindful or staying in the present helps a lot.  I'm also able to clear my head while walking or jogging.

(Re)developing and making it a habit

Sept - Oct 2021: 30 minutes was my longest walk on the treadmill 

Nov - Dec 2021: 5km was my longest jog-walk. Sub-35min for a 5km jog-walk 

Jan 2022: COVID19 entered my life 

Feb - Mar 2022: tried to make up for all the runs I missed back in Jan 

Apr 2022: Minor knee injury said "hello!" 

May 2022 - June 2022: Bad knee - gained back the weight that I worked hard to lose 

July 2022: Just kept walking and jogging. I know that my future (senior citizen) self would thank me for it. 

Aug 2022: Able to breach the 100km total distance within a month. The last time I did it was back in Dec 2021.

My typical walk-jog session: 

1.  Jog-walk.  Depending on the day, it can be: 2min walk - 4min jog at 6.4 kph max / 2min walk-2min jog at 7.2kph max / 2min walk - 8min jog at 6.2kph max 

2. Power walk.  1.6km to 2.4km at 5.6kph 

3. Walk.  1.6km to 3.2km at 5.2kph 

My longest jog-walk sessions are usually within the range of 8km - 10km total distance per session; combination of jog-walk, power walk, and walk.  While what I would consider as tempo or speed session, it would be around 4.8km to 6.4km per session.  

Stay safe and well!  😊