And the Answer Is … San Marino!

The Republic of San Marino … the world’s 5th smallest country … and perhaps the oldest constitutional republic as well, with a claim of having been founded in 301 CE. That’s where a 2 ½-hour train/bus trip from Bologna brought us today.

This microstate, entirely surrounded by Italy, is situated on the slopes of the Apennine Mountains. Its capital city — also named San Marino — is one of the nine castelli (municipalies) into which the country is divided.

The City of San Marino (or simply San Marino here on out) is a medieval walled city with narrow cobblestone streets. It sits atop Monte Titano … the highest point of the country.

Most people visit San Marino on a day trip. We’re staying three nights at a property that is in the high reaches of the city … just a short hike below the iconic towers set into the defensive walls. We’re looking forward to enjoying the peace and quiet before the day trippers arrive and again after they leave.

Since we did not want to negotiate the steep cobblestone streets with our carry-on bags in tow, we arranged for the hotel to pick us up from the bus stop outside the city walls. Once we checked in at Hotel Rosa, we left our bags with the front desk and went off to have lunch.

From the list of restaurant recommendations provided by the hotel, we settled on La Fratta … which turned out to be next door … though we took a roundabout way to get there. We were seated at a table along the railing of the balcony …overlooking Porta della Fratta … the entrance into the city through the older second set of walls. Tasty food; a glass of chilled Sangiovese di San Marino; a delicious crema de catalan served with a scoop of pistachio gelato. A perfect start to our time in San Marino.

Our apartment was ready by the time we finished lunch, but we decided to walk off our meal first and get some groceries from the only ‘supermarket’ in the city. Our walk gave us an opportunity to meander through the streets, do a bit of window-shopping, and even get ‘acquainted’ with some of the stairs that take people from one level of the city to the next.

We’re now settled into the apartment — recently renovated, clean, and spacious … though missing ‘decorative touches’ that would make it homey. Time to put together a plate of snacks and watch something on Netflix.Read more