I watched my plane's progress on the TV screens, seeing as we crossed over the Adriatic Sea and entered Italian airspace somewhere south of Venice. The clouds cleared, offering a view of dramatic mountains and little towns. I never realized how mountainous Italy is. As we descended, I took in the sunny farm fields and terra-cotta-roofed towns, contrasting the scene with snowy Russia. In a few minutes, we were on the ground, and I entered Rome's Fiumicino airport, walked through customs, and found the train to the center of Rome.

On the train, I sat across from two very stereotypical Italian businessmen, who were constantly answering their phones with an insistent "prego." Although I was tired from my long journey, I was far too excited to think about sleeping. I arrived in Rome's Termini station, went to my hostel, dropped off my bag, and went off to explore the city. I grabbed a map and set course for the Pantheon.

I was in awe of Rome. The streets were lined with beautiful buildings and swarmed with a diverse mix of tourists and locals. People were speaking Italian, English, Spanish, German, French, and many other languages. After the cultural monotony and sameness of life in provincial Russia, this was a feast. I walked along Via Nazionale, occasionally darting off down side streets. I reached the Pantheon, went inside, and then had an espresso at a sidewalk cafe and gaped at the 2000-year-old wonder. I then followed the crowd of tourists to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.

At this point, however, my lack of sleep was catching up to me. I knew it was time to get some rest in order to really appreciate the city, so I headed back to my hostel and turned in before midnight. Here are a few pictures from my first day: