April 2025 – NorthAmericanDarrell

Visiting Mi casita in Rocky Point Mexico!

I took the shuttle from Phoenix for $55, and it dropped me off down the street from my casa, which is perfect. It takes me about four hours to drive door-to-door from my condo in Mesa. The shuttle leaves from West Phoenix and takes about the same time. The USA van takes you to the border, and you walk across, and the Mexican van is waiting. It works out perfectly!

I keep my truck here as it is only $175 a year to insure and inexpensive to maintain. It is a 2003 F-150 I bought off the showroom floor, so I don’t want to let it go. Any major issues will be the end in the United States. My mechanic here is a tenth of the price, so it is a good place to try to keep it on the road. I only drive it around town, which should keep it going for a long time.

When I arrived, my landlord greeted me with a high five. It always feels so good to open that door, as it feels like home.

I have everything I need here to live a simple life. Comfy bed, beer fridge, grill, office, and a 55″ TV all for $150 a month.

I have zero issues keeping it empty most of the year. It is here when my AZ Airbnb is rented or when I want to just get away.

I always have a couple of first stops to see local faces and grab some of my favorites when I come to town.

I had my favorite chicken enchiladas with green sauce (pollo enchiladas verde.

Lower prices, oceanfront beers, playoff hockey, and everyone always has a great time!

2-for-1 wings!

The most famous restaurant in Rocky Point is Pollo Lucas (Lucas Chicken). It is a short ten-minute walk from my pad, and it is amazing.

You can order 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, or the whole chicken and eat it or take it to go.

Each order comes with onions and lettuce, with the awesome homemade salsa and tortillas.

I get the 1/4 chicken for 65 pesos, which is $2.50 for the best lunch ever! The half chicken is $120 Pesos, which can feed two people easily for $6 USD. The whole chicken can feed larger families for about $12 with all the fixings!

Friday nights are surf and turn night at my local watering hole down the street.

The price cannot be beat, as that was $15 USD with a draft beer and hockey.

$150 a month rent easily explains why I have been renting here for over 7 years! Awesome setup!!

Naples, Italy – Pompeii Museum

Look for the cost, accommodation, and how to get there cheap at the bottom of this blog!

I am the first to admit that I knew very little about the history of Greece and Italy until my visit in the spring of 2025. Due to rain, I did not make it to the actual city, so this post will be dedicated to the Pompeii Museum in Naples, Italy.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This article is about the ancient city of Pompeii. For the Classical Roman leader, see Pompey. For the Roman family, see Pompeia gens. For the Pacific Island, see Pohnpei.

Largely preserved under the ash, Pompeii offers a unique snapshot of Roman life, frozen at the moment it was buried, as well as insight into ancient urban planning. It was a wealthy town of 10,000 to 20,000 residents at the time it was destroyed. It hosted many fine public buildings and luxurious private houses with lavish decorations, furnishings, and artworks, which were the main attractions for early excavators; subsequent excavations have found hundreds of private homes and businesses reflecting various architectural styles and social classes, as well as numerous public buildings. Organic remains, including wooden objects and human bodies, were interred in the ash; their eventual decay allowed archaeologists to create molds of figures in their final moments of life. The numerous graffiti carved on outside walls and inside rooms provide a wealth of examples of the largely lost Vulgar Latin spoken colloquially at the time, contrasting with the formal language of classical writers.

Following its destruction, Pompeii remained largely undisturbed until its rediscovery in the late 16th century. Major excavations did not begin until the mid-18th century, which marked the emergence of modern archeology; initial efforts to unearth the city were haphazard or marred by looting, resulting in many items or sites being damaged or destroyed. By 1960, most of Pompeii had been uncovered but left in decay; further major excavations were banned or limited to targeted, prioritized areas. Since 2018, these efforts have led to discoveries in some previously unexplored areas of the city.

Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, owing to its status as “the only archaeological site in the world that provides a complete picture of an ancient Roman city.

It is among the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, with approximately 2.5 million visitors annually.

Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79 CE. The volcanic debris covered the city, burying it beneath a blanket of ash and pumice.

Following its destruction, Pompeii remained largely undisturbed until its rediscovery in the late 16th century. Major excavations did not begin until the mid-18th century, which marked the emergence of modern archeology;[5] initial efforts to unearth the city were haphazard or marred by looting, resulting in many items or sites being damaged or destroyed.[6] By 1960, most of Pompeii had been uncovered but left in decay;[7] further major excavations were banned or limited to targeted, prioritized areas.

Since 2018, these efforts have led to discoveries in some previously unexplored areas of the city.

Less than ten years ago, which is what made this museum so fascinating to me. Here is the entrance:

I must have taken over a hundred pictures and videos, as everywhere you looked was incredible.

Here are some favorite pictures, a nd you can find all of the pictures here:

One of the most incredible things about Pompeii is that they are still discovering new things as they continue to roll back time, excavating the site.

The ruins at Pompeii were first discovered late in the 16th century by the architect Domenico Fontana. Herculaneum was discovered in 1709, and systematic excavation began there in 1738. Work did not begin at Pompeii until 1748, and in 176,3 an inscription (“Rei publicae Pompeianorum”) was found that identified the site as Pompeii. The work at these towns in the mid-18th century marked the start of the modern science of archaeology.

Here is a recent article I found that explains they are still discovering ruins:

Archaeologists make a breakthrough as life-size sculptures are discovered in a Pompeii tomb

Archaeologists make a breakthrough as life-size sculptures are discovered in a Pompeii tomb

Visitors to the site of Pompeii, the ancient Roman town buried (and so preserved for thousands of years) by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, don’t often think to look beyond the city walls. And it’s easy to understand why: there’s plenty on offer within this monumentally well-preserved town, from jewel-like wall paintings of myths and legends like Helen of Troy, to the majestic amphitheatre and sumptuously stuccoed baths.

But step outside the gates for a moment, and you’re in a very different – yet no less important – world.

For the ancient Romans, the roads and paths leading into and out of cities were crucial: not just for getting places, but as a very real kind of “memory lane”. Tombs lined these ancient byways – some simply bearing inscriptions to the memories of loved ones lost, others, more grand, accommodating space for friends and family to feast in remembrance of the dead.

Some of the tombs even address the passerby directly, as if their occupant could speak again, and pass on what they’ve learned. Take one Pompeian example, set up by the freedman Publius Vesonius Phileros, which opens with ineffable politeness: “Stranger, wait a while if it’s no trouble, and learn what not to do.”

Going into Pompeii, and leaving it, was about being reminded of ways of living and ways of dying – as well as an invitation to tip your hat to those who trod the path before you, and to learn from their example.

Click the link to read the entire article.

During my travels, I try to balance the cheap, thrifty and going for it while trying to remain on budget. It normally makes me feel like I missed out when leaving a new City/Country.

Rain or Shine, I will visit Pompeii as I missed out. I will share some sweet dance moves too! 🕺

How to get to Italy, cheaply: I recommend flying Norse Airlines from Los Angeles to Rome for $220. You can get to Los Angeles cheaply from anywhere in Canada and the United States using Google Travel. Consider staying in LA a day or two, doubling up your vacation, and saving a ton of money. It is a quick ~$13 train ride from Rome to Naples. Keep in mind that the high-speed train can be very expensive, so check out the milk run to see the countryside.

Where I stayed: Hopestel Secret Garden. It was a great hostel in a historic building in the city center. I paid $28 euros / USD 30 a night, which is spectacular for Naples City center. There are also studio rooms that can be rented for about $12,5, which is also a steal in the area.

The best local beer and meal: PIZZA! It was a no-brainer since Napoli is where pizza was invented. I tried several different variations and washed it down with a local Ichnusa unfiltered brewski, which hit the spot every time.

Would I return? 100% YES! I missed the most important historical area due to rain, Pompeii.

Three months looking out windows!

I left Arizona on January 12th and didn’t return until April 7th, 2025, heading first to Vietnam and then bouncing across the globe. In order, I visited:

Vietnam → Cambodia → Thailand → London (twice) → Singapore → Greece → Turkey → Egypt → Italy → Spain

Eight of those ten countries were brand-new pins on my map, which made the whole thing feel even more unreal.

I spent the first three months slowly moving through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. After that, I flipped the switch and went full chaos mode with my all-you-can-fly pass—whizzing (Wizz Air style) through London, Singapore, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Italy, and Spain.

Here’s the actual chain of planes, trains, ferries, and buses that somehow all worked:

Phoenix → Los Angeles
Los Angeles → Singapore
Singapore → Saigon (HCMC)

Saigon → Nha Trang
Nha Trang → Huế
Huế → Da Nang
Da Nang → Hoi An
Da Nang → Saigon
Saigon → Phú Quốc
Phú Quốc → Saigon

Saigon → Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh → Siem Reap
Siem Reap → Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat → Bangkok
Bangkok → Koh Tao
Koh Tao → Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan → Koh Samui

Koh Samui → Bangkok
Bangkok → Singapore
Singapore → Athens

Athens → Istanbul
Istanbul → Princess Islands (day trip)
Istanbul → London
London → Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Sharm El Sheikh → London
London → Naples
Naples → Rome

Rome → Madrid
Madrid → Barcelona
Barcelona → Madrid
Madrid → Rome
Rome → Los Angeles
LAX → Phoenix

(That doesn’t even include all the local buses, metros, tuk-tuks, and 25+ ride share ((Grab/Uber/Bolt/InDrive)) rides along the way.)

Three months in Southeast Asia.
Then a rapid-fire lap through Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

It sounds insane written out like this—and honestly, it kind of was.

But that’s part of the fun.
And after traveling like this for three straight months…

Sometimes all you can do is drop a blog and watch miserable people be jealous.

This was, by far, the longest—and most expensive—trip of my life.

I blew through my budget. And once that happened, I made the call to keep going anyway, because I was already there. I ended up canceling my Eurail pass and coming home three weeks early to stop the financial bleeding.

At the time, I didn’t think I’d ever use my all-you-can-fly pass again, so I went into “see everything now” mode and stacked as many countries as I could. I still missed a few, which means there’s a pretty good chance I’ll give it one more run someday—especially since I’m not renewing the pass.

And here’s the truth:

I have zero regrets about spending money on travel.
Not at the end of this trip.
Not at the end of any trip.

What I do have is better awareness.

Travel is worth it.
The memories are worth it.
The experiences are worth it.

I just need to be smarter next time in Europe and use train travel—pace it better, plan a little tighter, and learn from the mistakes without losing the magic.

That’s not regret.
That’s learning and sharing.

Rome, Italy – Second visit to Vatican City!

I spent the last day of my recent travels in Rome, a place I’d already explored before. I’d checked off most of the major tourist traps on earlier visits, but it still felt essential to revisit the Colosseum and Vatican City—some places deserve more than one look.

Ironically, I chose a Sunday, which meant the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel were closed. Not ideal—or so I thought at the time.

Unbeknownst to me, I was about to get a much bigger—and completely unexpected—treat that day.

Below is a video I took earlier in the week, showing St. Peter’s Basilica from the outside, walking inside, and soaking in the atmosphere. Even without the museums open, this place never disappoints.

It was simply a good feeling knowing I was there on a day when Pope Francis was well enough to make a public appearance. With Holy Week approaching, it felt like an important moment—likely a quiet test of strength and endurance ahead of what is normally an incredibly demanding time.

Sadly, I later learned that he had to cut his speech short due to shortness of breath—and that this appearance would turn out to be his final public speaking engagement before his passing. Knowing that now adds a weight to the experience that I didn’t fully understand in the moment.

As I walked through Vatican City, the atmosphere felt different—solemn, but meaningful. A massive crowd was lined up to enter St. Peter’s Basilica, far larger than anything I’d seen earlier in the week.

It was one of those rare travel moments where you realize you weren’t just visiting a historic place—you were quietly present for a small but significant piece of history.

How to get to Italy (cheap)

If you’re coming from North America, I highly recommend flying Norse Atlantic Airways from Los Angeles to Rome for around $220 USD.

Getting to Los Angeles is easy and inexpensive from almost anywhere in Canada or the U.S. if you use Google Travel. Even better—consider staying in LA for a day or two. You essentially double your vacation while still saving a ton of money overall.

Where I stayed

I stayed at Freedom Traveler, which offered a single bed for €40 a night. Hotels in Rome can easily run $150+, so this was a no-brainer.

If dorms aren’t your thing, they also have private studio-style rooms for under $100, which is excellent value if you just want a quiet place to sleep. I stayed here twice—once before and once after my trip to Barcelona—and the staff were fantastic, always helping me get the best room available.

Best local meal & drink

Pizza. Obviously. 🍕

Rome is packed with corner spots selling freshly made pizza, and walking past them without stopping should honestly be illegal. While wine dominates in Italy (vino everywhere), I kept laughing because I’d walk into places with 10 taps, and every single one was wine. Beer lovers, adjust expectations accordingly.

My favorite pizza spot was just around the corner from Vatican City. I grabbed three slices (yes, all at once—you can see them stacked in the photo), and it was hands-down the best pizza I had in Italy.

Would I return?

To Rome specifically? Probably not.

Once I spent a full day at Vatican City and the Colosseum, I was ready to move on. I’d originally planned to stay a full week, but instead booked a last-minute trip to Barcelona to break things up.

That said, Italy absolutely deserves more time—just maybe not all in Rome. Cities like Venice, Sicily, Milan, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast are all worth visiting. One important lesson learned the hard way: book train tickets early. Last-minute fares were over $200, sometimes 5× the normal price, which is no different than flights.

If you plan to stay within one country, trains are amazing—but procrastination is expensive.

Real Madrid & Barcelona FC stadiums!

The first week of April 2025 was my last week on this adventure. I left on January 12th, and it was time to return home to Arizona. My Airbnb tenants were checking out, and I had a home to go back to, finally.

The plan was to hang around Italy since my flight left from Rome on April 7th.

My first day, I toured the Colosseum, and the second day was the Vatican. I did not want to spend five more days in Rome, and the train to Venice was over $200 return.

I checked out my Wizz Pass to see if there was availability to depart and return within a 72-hour window. My choices were Gdansk, Poland, or Madrid, Spain. I honestly did consider Poland before I found the Madrid flight.

Ultimately, I chose Madrid so I could also visit Barcelona with a quick train ride.

There is no better feeling than booking a last-minute flight for $10 on an all-you-can-fly pass!

One minute, I am in Italy and the next day flying to Spain, watching football locals in a Madrid pub! It sure beats working for a living!!

I also like to think that I am responsible when traveling, but not this time. Once I arrived in Madrid, I was very hungry, so I went to find food. I thought there was food in the Irish pub, but only beer.

I was going to find a hostel after the game as I stayed for the whole game, plus, whoopsie!

GOOOOAAAALLLLLL!!! ⚽🥅

After the game, slight panic started as it was after midnight, dark, rainy, and in a City I had never been to in my life. How is that for an adrenaline rush! I reset and looked for food and nailed it!

I have honestly never had Tapa’s before, as it reminds me of the foos-fos that go for Dim Sum or Sushi. Well, holy shit – I am foo fucking foo for this Tapa’s gig!! Check this out!

Pushing 2 AM, still no hostel, but new friends! We pigged out on so many items!

Since it was past midnight and check-in time, I set out on foot, in the rain and half in the bag, looking for a place to sleep.

** I have a string chain around my neck with two charms, a cross and a foot for adventure. I was rubbing the cross this time, and it always works out! ***

After knocking on door after door, I came to find out that the entire City center was sold out.

Well SHIT!! This is where I do my best thinking, WTF now dumbass? Why not head to the train station, catch a high-speed train to Barcelona for $40? Perfect recovery plan!!

I was able to get a couple of hours’ sleep on the train, even though it was going 300K/H. I woke up in Barcelona (huge bucket list,) and I was able to find a great hostel in the city center for $30 a night. After touring the city for a couple of days, I was off to find the biggest attraction, the Barcelona FC iconic Stadium, on my last day.

Ironically, the football stadium was closed for renovations. I visited the amazing team store and do not think I have seen anything else like it in the world. It was massive:

I cannot wait to reference this memory when the new ultra-modern stadium opens. I can say, I sat in this pub pre-gaming months/years earlier, preparing for the grand opening. LOL

I had better luck when I got back to Madrid. I was able to take the metro with fans to a Real Madrid game and experience gameday. I was flying back to Rome that night, so I could not go to the game, but this was amazing enough without paying hundreds of dollars for tickets.

It was a match between Barcelona FC and Valencia, and here is a little pre-game action:

After waiting an hour walking around as fans entered the stadium, I needed to leave. I was one of the few who headed the other direction on the metro as more fans arrived for the game.

It looks like I missed a great game which an exciting ending with the visiting team winning!

Spain – Madrid and Barcelona!

Spain and Portugal have always sat high on my European bucket list—mostly because they’re supposed to be two of the cheapest countries in Western Europe.
And yeah… cheap is relative. Because from what I saw, they weren’t dramatically cheaper overall—just different flavors of expensive.

Still, when a deal shows up, you don’t argue with it.

I grabbed a last-minute return flight to Madrid using my all-you-can-fly pass on Wizz Air. No overthinking. No spreadsheets. Just click.

The schedule was aggressive:

Land in Madrid late Wednesday night

Fly back to Rome on Saturday night

Then turn around and fly home to Phoenix Monday morning

Was it enough time?
Absolutely not.

Was it still worth it?
Also yes.

That’s kind of the tradeoff when you chase cheap flights and flexibility—you don’t always get enough time, but you get access. A taste. A reason to come back. And sometimes that’s all a city owes you on the first visit.

Madrid wasn’t done with me.
I just ran out of runway.

As I blogged about in my Spain football blog,

I managed to squeeze in both Madrid and Barcelona—along with their legendary football stadiums—by bouncing back and forth on Spain’s high-speed rail.

The train itself was unreal. I’ve taken the Channel Tunnel between London and Paris, but somehow this felt even faster. Smooth, quiet, no drama—and at times we were pushing nearly 300 km/h.

Blink and you’re in another city.
No airport security.
No wasted hours.
Just sit down, watch the countryside blur, and suddenly you’re somewhere else entirely.

Being able to visit Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and Camp Nou on the same short trip felt borderline unfair—in the best way.

Spain’s rail system alone is reason enough to come back and do it properly next time.

Fast trains, football temples, and not enough time—
a recurring theme of this trip.

One of the best parts was having real competition on the route. There were multiple high-speed rail companies to choose from—Renfe, iryo, and Ouigo—which kept prices refreshingly reasonable.

I paid $40 to go from Madrid to Barcelona, and $63 to head back on a Saturday night. For speeds pushing 300 km/h, that’s borderline absurd value.

Barcelona itself was instantly likable—especially the city center. Narrow, cobblestoned streets, tight corners, and that old-world layout that forces you to slow down and wander. It felt lived-in, textured, and human-scale in a way that makes getting lost part of the experience.

Fast trains, fair prices, and streets meant for wandering—
Spain quietly does this part very well.

I spent two days in Barcelona, which barely scratched the surface. If there’s one obvious advantage Barcelona has, it’s the location—you get the best of both worlds: a major city and the sea.

Being right on the Mediterranean Sea changes the whole feel of the place. I took a bus tour that covered roughly 30 miles of coastline, and even in the off-season it was impressive. Beaches, waterfront neighborhoods, long promenades—it just keeps going.

I couldn’t help but imagine how unreal it must be in the summertime, when the city fully leans into that coastal lifestyle. Barcelona feels like a place where you could slow down, stay longer, and let the city and the sea split your attention evenly.

Two days wasn’t enough.
But it was enough to know I’ll be back.

I spent most of the day just riding the metro around the city.

I only spent a few hours in Madrid before bolting to Barcelona, so I made sure I came back to Spain for a proper wrap-up.

I arrived back in Madrid on 04/04/25, checked into an excellent hostel, and booked just one night. One of the underrated perks of hostel life is flexibility—you can store your bags, grab a towel, and even shower later in the day. That worked perfectly since my flight didn’t leave Madrid until 9:00 PM on 04/05/25.

With limited time, I kept the list tight. There were only a few things I needed to see:

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

Royal Palace of Madrid

Puerta de Alcalá (Madrid’s Arc de Triomphe)

No rushing.
No overplanning.

Just enough time to close the Spain chapter properly—exactly the way it deserved.

Real Madrid — pre-game vibes!

I caught the buzz outside Santiago Bernabéu Stadium as fans poured in and the energy started to build. Scarves out, chants warming up, that unmistakable match-day electricity in the air.

Unfortunately, I had to catch a flight back to Rome later that day, so I couldn’t stay for the match itself.

Still—soaking in the atmosphere was more than enough to remind me why football culture in Madrid hits differently.

Naples and Rome – pizza everywhere!🍕

High School gym class

My first stop was Naples—or Napoli, as the locals correctly call it—the original, unapologetic version reminded me of High School gym class.

Fast-paced, intense, a little rough around the edges, and absolutely unforgettable history.

Home of the Pizza!

The history of pizza began in antiquity, as various ancient cultures produced flatbreads with several toppings. Pizza today is an Italian dish with a flat dough-based base and toppings, with significant Italian roots in history.

A precursor of pizza was probably the focaccia, a flatbread known to the Romans as panis focacius, to which toppings were then added. Modern pizza evolved from similar flatbread dishes in Naples, Italy, between the 16th and mid-18th centuries.

The word pizza was first documented in 997 CE in Gaeta[4] and successively in different parts of central and southern Italy. Furthermore, the Etymological Dictionary of the Italian Language explains the word pizza as coming from dialectal pinza, ‘clamp’, as in modern Italian pinze, ‘pliers, pincers, tongs, forceps’. Their origin is from Latin pincere, ‘to pound, stamp’.

I had pizza every day that I was in Italy and even had a couple two a day!!

The below was one of my favorites near Vatican City. The Chef will make pizzas on massive sheets and then place them in the window for display. Once you decide on a flavor or three, in my case, on this day, in the top left. They take a pair of scissors, cut to your desired size and weight it for the amount.

Below is fried pizza—basically a calzone that made better life choices and went into the fryer instead of the oven.

The second photo is my first meal after landing in Naples.
Stromboli is my favorite, so this one felt less like a meal and more like a reunion.

The rest?
Just random pizza stops along the way.
No plan.
No regrets for eating and not even being hungry!

Yummy!!

I definitely ate my share of pizza throughout Italy, especially Naples.

Every now and then I’d think, “Maybe I should order something else…”
And then immediately decide—
nope.

When you’re in the birthplace of pizza, branching out feels less like curiosity and more like betrayal.

You tell ’em, Boss!

Rome – The Vatican & St Peter’s Basilica

When in Rome – visiting the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica was not an option! I needed to throw a few Hail Mary’s so not a better place to make some peace. We had a good talk, and we are good! 👌 The Vatican grounds were a short 15-minute metro ride from my hostel and easy to access. It was amazing to think that I could hop on a metro train and be there in under 20 minutes.

I blogged about my second time visiting, but here are more details, pictures, and videos.

The train ride from my hostel to Vatican City was under 20 minutes:

Once you exit the Vatican station, there is a short walk to St Peter’s Square.

The Pope has been very sick and made his last appearance the week I was in Rome before passing away.

Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until he death in 2025. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first Latin American, and the first born or raised outside Europe since the 8th-century Syrian pope Gregory III.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to a family of Italian origin, Bergoglio was inspired to join the Jesuits in 1958 after recovering from a severe illness. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969, and from 1973 to 1979, he was the Jesuit provincial superior in Argentina. He became the archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, the 2013 papal conclave elected Bergoglio as pope on 13 March. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Throughout his papacy, Francis was noted for his humility, emphasis on God’s mercy, international visibility, commitment to interreligious dialogue, and concern for the poor, migrants, and refugees. Francis believed the Catholic Church should demonstrate more inclusivity to LGBTQ people, and stated that although blessings of same-sex unions are not permitted, individuals in same-sex relationships can be blessed as long as the blessing is not given in a liturgical context.[2] Francis made women full members of dicasteries in the Roman Curia.[3][4] Francis convened the Synod on Synodality, which was described as the culmination of his papacy and the most important event in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council.[4][5][6] Francis was known for having a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors by, for instance, choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by previous popes. In addition, due to both his Jesuit and Ignatian aesthetic, he was known for favoring simpler vestments devoid of ornamentation, including refusing the traditional papal mozzetta cape upon his election, choosing silver instead of gold for his piscatory ring, and keeping the same pectoral cross he had as cardinal.

Here are some additional pictures of my two days spent in Vatican City.

RIP Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025)

Italy train travel! Fast and faster!!

I am at the point in my travels where I was supposed to be using a Europass to travel Europe by train.

I bailed on that plan a month ago after taking a 20-hour train trip up and down the Vietnam coast. I realize that taking a train across Europe would be a lot nicer than Vietnam but sitting in coach would be the same back breaking experience.

Here was the plan, and I still feel good about my decision as it is time to go home:

I did get a chance to take a train from Naples to Rome, which was pretty awesome and had me second-guessing. The ten-day Europass was an amazing deal, but taking the train once scratched that itch for $13 USD.

It was not the highspeed train as that was $60 and would have been an hour a half instead of four hours.

Since I enjoyed my first train experience in Europe, I followed it up with another train trip later that week!

This time, I took the smoking fast-speed train between Madrid and Barcelona, Spain.

The train almost hit 300KM/H (292KM hour was the highest I noticed as I fell in and out of sleep for the three-hour trip.) Imagine a flight doing ~500KM/H is about an hour and a half, and the train doing ~300KM/H is about three hours.

Amazing!

I had taken the “Chunnel” from London to Paris in the past, but this was a great reminder of how fast train travel can be compared to flying. The line at the train station was a lot longer than most airports, as they do not have the same setup, which can delay travel.

Lucky for me, I am a dumbass and went to the wrong departure station. Once I realized it, I took a 15-minute taxi to the correct station and cut to the front of the line with my sob or SOB story, so it took less than five minutes as opposed to over an hour.

It was stressful, but it worked out perfectly as I did not sleep. I landed in Madrid and took the subway to the City Center and there was a football game on, so I jumped into the fun without finding a hostel.

After the game, I grabbed some tapas and beer and quickly found out that the prices were $150 euros that night. After a bit of panic, walking in the rain and soul searching my shitty situation, I headed to the wrong train station. It all worked out amazingly as always!

Check out all those tapas and awesome local beer!

The closest I have ever experienced Tapas is when a Ukrainian whips up a meal with whatever is in the fridge, and it turns out to be a five-star meal. Same idea, a little bit of everything and refilling your plate.

What an amazing sequence of events, which is why I love to travel so much!

Italy! The Colosseum experience!!

Below is the Colessem location about Rome and Italy in general.

The top can be zoomed in and out if you are curious!

I am not a big history guy, but Athens, Greece, and now Rome, Italy, had me caught up in the experience!

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, for all of us, as it was so overwhelming:

The Colosseum ultimately derives from the Ancient Greek word “kolossos,” meaning a large statue or giant. It is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum.

It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world, despite its age. Construction began under the Emperor Vespasian (r. 69–79 AD) and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir, Titus.

Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian (r. 81–96). The three emperors who were patrons of the work are known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheatre was named the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium; Italian: Anfiteatro Flavio by later classicists and archaeologists for its association with their family name (Flavius).

The Colosseum is built of travertine limestone, tuff (volcanic rock), and brick-faced concrete. It could hold an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 spectators at various points in its history,[4][5] having an average audience of some 65,000; it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles including animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, dramas based on Roman mythology, and briefly mock sea battles.

The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.

Although substantially ruined by earthquakes and stone robbers taking spolia, the Colosseum is still a renowned symbol of Imperial Rome and was listed as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. It is one of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions and has links to the Catholic Church, as each Good Friday, the Pope leads a torchlit “Way of the Cross” procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum. The Colosseum is depicted on the Italian version of the 5 euro cent coin.

It was about a 30-minute walk from my hostel to the Colosseum and the ancient ruins area.

I rarely pay to enter tourist traps, but this was another one that I could not miss out on. Here are some pictures and videos of the Colosseum inside and out. It was so amazing to see, and unsure if these will help portray it properly