The Republic of San Marino

The middle of the week between Venice and Rome, we decided to take a little day trip to the republic of San Marino.  San Marino is located on the eastern coast of Italy, just south of a town called Rimini.  In fact, we had to take the train into Rimini and then get a separate bus up to Mount Titano, where San Marino is located.  I woke up that Wednesday feeling absolutely horrible and the last thing I wanted to do was get on a train for 4 1/2 hours and then take a bus for another hour.  But, I sucked it up, figured I could sleep on the train and on we went.  We had an Italy Eurail Pass which ended up saving us a ton of money...any 3 days on the train within 1 month.  Except for the fact that to use the express trains you had to pay a 10 euro supplement.  We planned on taking slow trains everywhere, but turns out the slow trains aren't nearly as frequent and didn't seem to fit in with our time schedule so we ended up paying the 10 euros 4 out of 5 times.  

We had to change trains in Bologna which was quite out of the way, but the only way we could get to Rimini.  Once in Rimini we found out that the luggage storage at the train station was closed.  I thought to myself..."I am NOT going up that mountain with this suitcase that I'm too weak to carry even normally."  The best thing Laura suggested the entire trip was to check at the tourist information center just next door.  They said yes!  We paid our 3 euros and promised to be back by 6 pm when they closed.  It was already 1 pm and we weren't going to have loads of time in San Marino, but, we were there and loaded into the bus with all the other tourists.  As we climbed higher and higher my ears continued to pop and the ground became white with snow.  

When we got off the bus I realized how cold it was and how beautiful a blanket of snow made everything.  Although San Marino didn't get just a blanket of snow.  Because of the altitude we're talking 5 or 6 feet in some places! That's a lot of snow!  

San Marino is the oldest republic in the world.  In 1797 Napoleon legitimated its sovereign power, and congress respected its independence while redefining the borders of Europe.  Abraham Lincoln was also declared an honorary citizen of San Marino in 1861.  They use the Euro, but they have the right to mint euro coins with effigies of San Marino at the Italian mint.  There are about 32,000 inhabitants on the mountain and surrounding flat lands.  There are 3 towers, a few museums, yet another beautiful church, and many many tourist shops.  The highest peak of Mount Titano is the Second Tower (Cesta).  It rises 750 meters above sea level and was built around an ancient roman fortress.  

View from the museum of San Marino.

Part of the castle walls.

The cable car that runs up from the city center of San Marino.

Yes, that is someone's garden.  

Because of the snow many of the footpaths and staircases were blocked off, and some that had been cleared were still icy and very slippery.  We weren't able to stay longer than a couple of hours, as we had to make it down to the tourism office before 6 to get our luggage.  

Workers clearing snow off the rooftops to keep them from falling in.

Our train to Rome was the worst train I've ever been in with teeny tiny aisles and boiling temperature.  The aisles were so small that two people couldn't pass at the same time...much less with suitcases or bags.  Laura and I weren't able to sit together and I had to sit by a crotchety old Italian man who took up the arm rest the entire ride.  All the while his wife across the way staring at my too-hot-for-words red face every time I would cough or blow my nose.  I wanted to scream at her, "Yes, I'm sick lady!! Sue me!!"  

If it's one thing the French have mastered to a "T", its public transportation.  I always forget how good we have it until I go somewhere else.  I will learn quickly to appreciate that 10 times more in Rome.......