August 26, 2016

Summer Holiday: San Marino

It was 07.00 and I was finally able to get off the ferry I was trapped on for 12hours. I hardly slept and when I did it was an awful, sitting-in-an-airplane-chair kind of sleep. I was beyond ready to get off that boat. (Side note: if I were actually adequately prepared for this ferry trip, I believe it wouldn’t have been as bad as it was. Things I would need to be prepared: pillow, blanket, mattress, tent, sleeping pills). But the view was great.

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES — I mean… this was taken at the port of Ancona (in a more industrial part of town) and it’s still gorgeous.

Anywho. I made my way to Rimini for a cappuccino (YUM!!) at a cranky (unfortunate) cafe in the city center and then up to San Marino with a bus. It was pretty easy travel and it was so great to be back in Italy (I studied abroad in Tuscany a couple of years ago and fell in love).

Although I was traveling through and surrounded by Italy, I actually was in the world’s oldest sovereign state (and the 3rd smallest in Europe): San Marino. It’s gorgeous and very fairytale-esque. It’s also quite fascinating. Here are so fun facts about the country:

Six (latin) books written in the late 16th century are known as the Constitution of San Marino and continue to structure their political system today. (Bonus: these are the oldest written documents still governing a state in the world)!
Their economy is fantastic! They have one of the lowest rates of unemployment in the world, one of the highest GDP per capital in the world, no national debt and a national budget surplus.
San Marino was founded the 3rd of September in 301 A.D. by Saint Marinus.
They refused Napoleon’s gift! After a regent of San Marino befriended him, Napoleon promised San Marino’s sovereignty and even offered the small country more land if needed be. Insightfully, they chose not to accept the offer to ensure its neighbors wouldn’t hold any resentment toward them. (I love this little sovereign state. It just wants to be its own).
They remained neutral in World War 2. While surrounded by Italy.

I really love this tiny country.

I met up with a friend I had met in Santa Barbara and together we wandered around the quaint city center. I didn’t take too many photos because I was far too occupied in wandering, but I did take some of the view surrounding Mount Titano.