We started hitting our way going to Rome at almost midnight; a schedule we chose for practicality and convenience reasons. As soon as we located our private cabin in the train and after putting away our luggage overhead, my eye lids surrendered to the heaviness of it. Within seven hours of travel from Venice to Rome in that wee hours of December, our bodies found a much needed rest, albeit temporarily.
With the train starting to slow down, I was able to glance at the terminal signage, "Roma Termini". It was between seven and eight in the morning. We were disembarking and heading eastward when I noticed the whole expanse of the train platform being bathe in morning sunlight.
We never escaped from it, but it worked out good enough nevertheless to help me brave a rather chilly winter breeze dampening at my exposed cheeks as if it was trying to welcome and assert its presence to every visitor of this glorious city.  Once we refreshed ourselves, we went for light breakfast in one of the restaurants at the terminal. I found out later that we still needed to make one more inter-city connection to reach the city proper, and so we walked down further into this complex subway tunnel system until we reached the platform going to "Tiburtina" station. From there, we would begin treading the ground where Emperor walked and where Roman soldiers marched.
All the excitement was beginning to build-up within me eventhough I realised shortly that another ride from city bus was needed to get to St.
Peter Square. It was the initial place a kababayan had agreed to meet us to be our guide. The additional 15-minute ride from bus seemed so brief as I find real enjoyment as soon as I started seeing its centuries-old structures exhibiting grandiously their intricate facade reminiscent of its glorious past architecture. Even the crowd was a treat to watch: those group of veil-clad nuns with rosary beads on their hands crossing a pedestrian lane, a seemingly hurried tourist with camera dangling on his neck trying to catch a cab, a captivating busker demonstrating his musical prowess to layers of people around him, etc. You see, Rome is admittedly a city with multiple awe-inspiring historic attractions, but I still enjoyed in marvel looking at those busy scenes - this, while our bus slowly did its duty to bring us to our destination amidst the busy and crowded streets of Rome in that early morning.  The sun had just moved up from the horizon, but not high enough yet for its sunlight to cover the wide open area of St. Peter Basilica Square, except of course from few rays of sunlight that was able to pass in between big pillars of the circular enclave of the plaza. TO BE CONTINUED...