This trip was planned at the end of December 2025. Routes were discussed, plans were made and altered before confirmed, air tickets were monitored and accommodation at various cities were booked. The U Ass attack on Iran in end-February 2026 threatened the trip but I was determined to go through it because I wasn’t going to let some orange bugger determined how I lived my life or affect it. Flight tickets were bought online during the MATTA Fair in early April 2026.
Two weeks before the flight, we received notification from Trip.com that the airline had rescheduled our departure by almost 12 hours so I quickly accepted the flight change and scrambled to find accommodation for the extra night. This also meant having to buy coach tickets and burning the train tickets I’d bought earlier. And ten days before I was supposed to fly out from somewhere, another airline cancelled the flight and again, I had to find either an alternative airline or route or departure date.
Thursday, 21 May 2026
I made my way to KLIA T1 in the afternoon and met up with my niece there. We’d tried checking in online the evening before; however, we received message that we could not proceed with online check-in but to proceed at the airport. The queue was slow, only two counters were opened. We made our way to the satellite building after performing evening prayers. We took off just after 22:00.
Friday, 22 May 2026
We landed in Abu Dhabi slightly ahead of schedule and went through the transfer process for the gate to the next destination. We boarded at 01:30 and I tried to sleep but only managed to catch brief spells of it.
We landed at Rome Fiumicino at 06:20 and quickly made our way to the immigration. We’d purchased bus ticket to Termini for 08:10 and didn’t want to miss the bus. Alhamdulillah, we managed to clear passport control by 07:30 and our bags were just coming out when we reached the bag carousel. We went to freshen up before making our way out and to the bus stop.
We arrived at Termini just after 09:05 and walked to nearby Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore, one of Rome’s four major papal basilicas. Then we walked to the water fountain outside Giardino Nicola Calipari before returning to Termini. We also bought metro ticket from a tabacchi as I didn’t want to buy it at the metro station.
We rode metro line B to Tiburtina and walked to the coach station. Our 11:25 FlixBus arrived ten minutes late. There was an early drama when some idiot sat in our seats but I asserted myself and demanded that he move. We stopped after two hours at a rest area to use the facilities.
We arrived at Pisa Pietrasantina at 16:55 and walked to Piazza del Duomo or Piazza Miracoli where Battistero di San Giovanni, Cattedrale di Pisa and Torre di Pisa are. This was my fourth visit to Pisa and the third visit to Piazza del Duomo. We spent half an hour there before walking to our Airbnb at via Santa Lucia. The apartment is at the second floor. We freshened up before venturing out to the city, across River Arno. Dinner was bought from Conad and we returned to the room to have it.
Saturday, 23 May 2026
An early start today. We left the Airbnb at 09:10 and walked Pisa Pietrasantina for our 09:40 FlixBus to Florence. The bus was only five minutes late but made up for it by arriving early at Firenze Villa Constanza at 10:55. This was my fourth visit to Florence and the first time I arrived at Villa Constanza and rode the tram. We bought tickets for the tram and rode the tram to Valfonda stop. We walked to Student Doner Kebab to have early lunch there before trudging to Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. This is one of the landmarks of Florence.
After that, we trudged to Giardino dell’Orticoltura and rested there before walking to our Airbnb at nearby via Vittorio Emanuele II. The apartment is at the fourth floor and we gasped as we struggled up with our bags. The apartment comes en-suite with its private terrace so I guess that’s the price one has to pay to get a terrace.
We ventured out at 17:30 and walked to Ponte Vecchio. It was a busy early evening in the city. We turned back and had gelato at Venchi before walking back.
Sunday, 24 May 2026
Another early morning. We left the Airbnb at 09:15 and walked to Santa Maria Novella station for our train to Rome. We’d received notification from Trip,com that there’d be a slight delay with the train arriving three minutes late. The journey was smooth and pleasant bar an irritating kid who couldn’t stay still.
We pulled into Termini at 12:15 and trudged to our Airbnb at via Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. The check-in time was 16:00 and we’d planned to leave our bags in the kitchen as agreed with the host; however, the staff allowed us to enter our room just before 13:00. We ventured out again after prayers at 14:15 and took the metro to Spagna for the Spanish Steps before taking the metro to Ottaviano.
We walked to the Vatican and then to Castel Sant’Angelo. We then took Ponte Sant’Angelo across River Tiber and walked to Campo di Fiori. We had late lunch or early dinner at Istanbul Kebab near Largo Argentina. Then we went to check out the cats at Largo Argentina and were disappointed to see only four of them. We then rode bus no. 87 to Labicana (Merulana) stop then walked back to the Airbnb.
Monday, 25 May 2026
I woke up at 03:00 to have my predawn meal. The silence was broken by someone’s snores (our neighbour). I had an early shower before performing morning prayers.
We ventured out after 08:30 and walked to Labicana (Merulana) stop to get the bus no. 87 to Piazza Navona. From Piazza Navona, we walked to Pantheon, Obelisco della Minerva (Elephant and Obelisk) and on to Piazza Venezia and Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II (Monument to Victor Emmanuel II). Then we walked to Foro Romano and Foro di Traiano (Trojan Forum) and Foro di Augusto before walking on to Colosseo. There were so many people around the area. We spent 30 minutes there before walking back. It’s such a hot, hot day today.
We rested before venturing out after 20:50 for Fontana di Trevi. We took the bus and walked to the fountain and arrived at 21:50. Then we waited for the barriers to be lifted and the crowds to be allowed in. Well, you can still visit during the day but there’s a ticket applicable these days.
We took a different bus and walked back to the Airbnb. I was in bed by 23:30, knackered from the heat and 17 hours of fasting.
Tuesday, 26 May 2026
I woke up at 03:00 for predawn meal. Another day of fasting, it’s the Day of Arafah today. I had a short nap at 05:45 for about two hours. We packed and left the Airbnb at 09:55.
We took the metro to Piramide and walked around the area before making our way up to the Keyhole of the Order of Malta (Buco della serratura dell’Ordine di Malta) and sited about 40 minutes for our turn. Next, we walked down to the Mouth of Truth but I wasn’t going to join another long queue! We crossed over to the Temple of Hercules Victor and Temple of Portunus then walked up past Teatro di Marcello en route to the Turkish kebab restaurant.
I left my niece to her lunch while I walked to Campo di Fiori. There were many more people there compared to when we visited on Sunday afternoon of course. I tried to find the shop selling Murano accessories which I saw on Sunday but couldn’t locate it. Dejected, I walked back to the Turkish restaurant and just in time too as my niece was only just finishing her lunch.
We took bus no, 87 and walked back to the Airbnb. We’d checked out so we sat in the kitchen while the staff deep cleaned the kitchen.
We left for Termini at 18:30 and went to find Conad supermarket for La Niña to buy dinner. The bus arrived and left at 20:45 and we reached Rome Fiumicino at 21:30. I went to find prayer room to perform prayers then we went to find some seats to rest.
To be continued
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