I spend some time in Naples touring the Castel dell'Ovo before just getting lost strolling the endless Via Toledo. After lunch at La Masardona, I’m back at the airport. It’s sunny and clear as I fly the 107 nm course from LIRN to LIRF Roma Fiumicino Airport.
This landscape starts as a patchwork of clays and greens.
Soon it changes to grassy fields.
The airport comes into view, but I’m not ready to land yet. First, I’ll fly northeast for a bit of aerial sightseeing over Rome. I’ve been here, twice, in 2001 and 2003, and I’m curious to see how it looks from the air compared to on foot.
Rome is bisected by the Tiber River, with the Vatican on the north side, west of the river, and the Colosseum east of the river in the heart of the city. Saint Peter’s Square and Saint Peter’s Basilica are the first to come into view. Inside is the famed Sistine Chapel. When I was there, I recall shushers — men who instructed the crowd of tourists to keep quiet and show respect — and Swiss Guards who would look at place in a Renaissance Faire wielding actual halberds.
Next, I head east towards the Pantheon. From the air, it’s a dome with a hole in its roof.
On foot, it looked a bit more dramatic.
A bit further east is Trevi Fountain. For luck, you’re supposed to sit with your back to it and throw in a coin over your shoulder.
Further south, the white marble of the the Altar della Patria is visible.
Just beyond it lies the ruins of the Roman Forum, which terminate at the magnificent Colosseum. I recall walking those ruins on a warm autumn day.
Having satisfied my curiosity, for now, I turn my Piper into a lazy loop, heading back towards Roma Fiumicino Airport. The day is still young, and there’s endless things to do.