Rome Day Four: Exploring Rome. A Hike In Villa Ada Park And A Return To The Vatican.

I was only in Rome for a few more days after the funeral of Pope Francis. I had  explored many of  famous  historic sites   in Rome on my two previous visits to the Eternal City. There were countless more to explore but ,  it was Spring and I wanted to hike in some of the parks in the city.  Pope Francis was a fierce advocate of  preserving and protecting nature  and I thought sharing some of the beauty of nature I might find in the city would be a fitting way to honor him.  So I was up early Sunday morning, and after my morning coffee, I was back on the streets of Rome headed to the Termini Metro Station.

It was a partly sunny and cool morning.

There were a lot less people and almost no traffic on the streets as I walked to the station. I decided to hike in the Villa Ada, the second largest public park in Rome.

It was only a few mile north of were I was staying and not far from the  Sant’Agnese/Annibaliano metro station.    There were not many people in the metro.

In fact, I was the only one  on the train as I headed toward the Sant’Agnese/Annibaliano station,

and the only one at the station when I arrived.

There were  no one on the streets near the station when I got off either. It was like a ghost town. . I love exploring the streets and neighborhoods of a city and it was nice roaming the empty street. I began my walk toward the Villa Ada park, about a 1/2 mile away, on Courso Triesrte.

The  area near the metro stop looked mostly residential with large  colorful apartment building towering over the street.

I walked  through the mostly residential  buildings  along the came to Via Panaro another quiet residential street.

Here I found  this very stylish  elementary school. 

The only people I saw on the streets were a few folks walking  their dogs, and these city  workers stopping at a local pastry shop for a bite to eat.

Via Panaro  took me to Via Salaria a busier street and  to a large old wall which was the border of the Villa Ada. Villa Ada was  once the private gardens of the powerful  Savoy that ruled most of Italy in the 19th Century.

I walked along the wall and past a gas station

and came to an old gate where I entered the park.   Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web page with some more photos from my travel to Villa Ada. Rome Day Four. Villa Ada subway  April 24 2025.

As soon as I entered the park I found out where a lot of the local residents were , they were in the Villa Ada park, running, walking, biking or taking their dogs for a morning stroll.   On my five mile walk in the park I learned that Romans have a deep love  of dogs.  So many folks were walking two or more dogs.

I wasn’t sure on which one of the many trails  in the park I should hike.  So , for a while, I just walked aimlessly under  many large pine trees along the trail I was on. . I believe they are Scots pines.

There was a flock  of nosiy rose-ringed parakeets on the trunk and

in the branches of one of the pine trees.

 I also saw a flock of monk parakeets feeding on what  looked like locust flowers. I saw many of both of these invasive parakeets  everywhere I walked while  in Rome.

Villa Ada was, once owned by   the House of Savoy in the 1800’s. It was used as a residence and a hunting grounds.  The park now  has over 450 acres, mostly gardens and woodlands with an aritfical lake.  I wasn’t sure were to hike so I walked along the trail close to the western wall where I came in.

I looked for birds in the  trees and gardens along the trail and saw a few of the  common  hooded crows.

I also  saw  this colorful  bird, which  I saw for the first time on my trip to Spain last month, a common firestart.

There were plenty of flowers blooming along the trails in the  park. I am not familiar with  most of them and I am relying on my iPhone app and Google lens for these identifications, This I believe is a  purple viper’s-bugloss,

this common sowthistle,

this a red campion, and this, I am sure is a common poppy.

I believe all of  them are native to Italy.

 

I  continued my hike  on the trail  and came to a small  amusement park with rides for children.

 I decided to walk  over a  to a trail on the other side of a the park.  I wanted  to visit the  lake on the northern part of the park.

It was now later in the morning and more  people appeared on the trails. There were many side trails shown on my All Trail app and I looked for  one to get away form the crowded main trail. I found one and followed it into some thicker woods.

On this trail  I came across what looked like a horse riding  school.

I followed a trail into a more  mature woodlands,

 were there were many stinging nettles on the trail.

Here I  found this colorful snail,

and a mushroom growing  in the shade of the large trees.

A Eurasian wren was singing  in the trees.

The trail eventually took me down a steep ridge,

and to another trail which took me to the  lake surrounded by fields.

It was crowded with people enjoying the early morning  April sunshine.

I also saw few critters near the lake , a few turtle sitting along the shore,  I believe this is a yellow bellied slider, and

a few swimming in the waters of the lake, I am not sure, but this is what Google lens told me, I  believe this is a red eared slider.   Both these turtles are invasive in  Rome  and are native to the United States.

There were a few  mallard ducks swimming on the lake. 

I also saw a few hooded crows along the shore

and flying around the lake.

A Eurasian moorhen was swimming on the lake, a new lifer sighting for me. 

People were feeding the duck and fish and the moorhen  fought this large carp like fish for some bread    Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web page with some more photos of the birds and other critters I saw on my  six  mile hike.  Villa Ada. Rome Day Four. Villa Ada hike   birds and critters April 24 2025.

I walked along the lake,and  past another small amusement park already packed with young children.

I joined the strean of people walking into the park and I followed it back to the entrance where I came in.

Along the way I saw this Sicilian wall lizard and

a few butterflies,  a  speckled wood butterfly and

a red admiral butterfly. 

I finished my five mile hike in the park and enjoyed the beauty of nature I found in the middle of  Rome. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web page with some more photos from my six mile hike in the Villa Ada. Rome Day Four. Villa Ada hike   April 24 2025.

It was past noon and I was hungry ,  I walked  through the streets  in the neighborhood near the metro and park.

I found a small restaurant,  La  Cannoleria   Siciliana

where I  had a delicious salmon salad for lunch. 

I walked back to the metro , exhausted form a 6 mile hike. I was  still not getting a lot of sleep.  I returned to my room, hoping to rest  and edited some photos. I thought I would call it a day, but I was in Rome, and so around 3 p.m. I  decided to visit  to the Vatican and Saint Peter’s Basilica.

There were still some large crowds of people on the train heading to the Vatican.

I took the metro train  to the Ottaviana station. It was overcast  as I walked toward Saint Peter’s Square,

joining the other folks walking to and from the Via di Porta  Angelica,

  to  the entrance to the  St Peter’s.

I had to pass security again and when I entered the square  I found more crowds of people and a long line waiting to enter Saint Peters’s Basilica.

I  wanted to visit the beautiful Basilivca, but I had already walked over  8 miles and I wasn’t;t going to stand in the line. Instead I just walked around the historic square,

reflecting on my first visit here  to attend the funeral of  Pope John  Paul II 20 years ago and my visit on a cold and rainy night when  stood near this fountain and I saw the  white smoke rise from  the Sistine Chapel  informing the world a new Pope was chosen.

I waited in the crowds that gathered to watch Pope Francis appear on this balcony and begin his message of love , even to the least of our human brethren and to protect the  natural resources of this fragile planet we all share. It was a message that touched my heart and now I came full circle, 12 years later, as I said farewell to this great human soul. We must heed his message and continue to spread it as  I hope to do so in the shirt  time I have left on this planet.

After my reflections, I  purchased some rosaries for family and friends and walked  returned to my hotel.  It was late afternoon when I returned to my hotel. I had now walked over  9 miles. I remembered my first visit to Rome 20 years ago. I believe I walked over 20 miles one day exploring the city.  I still was out on  the streets of Rome and had  dinner with a charming woman I had met in the markets  until late in the evening,  That was 20 years ago, and I  now  only wanted to eat and then sleep.Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web page with some more photos from my  last visit to  Vatican on this trip.  Rome Day Four. Vatican   April 24 2025.

It was Sunday and many of the restaurants were closed. I decided to return to  Luigi  Cantina e Cucina  where I had a delicious meat the night before.  It was raining now and i got wet on my walk to the restaurant but it was Spring and I was in Rome so it didn’t  matter. I had another wonderful meal starting with an antipasto  of salmon, spinach and tomatoes on toast,

and a delicious main course of spaghetti  and seabass .  I was hoping to have some gelatol for desert on my walk back to the hotel. The rain had stopped while I ate,

but as I began my walk back it began to rain again. So I returned to my hotel and had tiramisu

 

 

“Nature is a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness. Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise”   Pope Francis (Laudato Si’, 12).