San Marino: #56

For some reason we had begun counting countries visited and estimating how long it might take us to reach 60. And for reasons apparently having to do with this, we decided to stop by the Republic of San Marino on our way from Padua, through Ravenna, and then Rimini, toward Rome. It was on the way. Sort of. (San Marino, not Dan Marino (#13), as some might think). It is another ridiculously small republic, nestled there by Rimini, in northeastern Italy. Only San Marino is on a mountain top, sort of another picturesque hill-top, fortified town. Sort of. I am sure that the history of and reasons for San Marino's independence must be very interesting, most likely tied up with some pope or cardinal or other. Maybe the Guelphs or the Ghibellines. In any case, the place exists, it is a real country, not a shit-hole, as #45 would say (maybe), and definitely counts if you're counting countries. Not as much as Andorra or Vatican City, or even Lichtenstein, I would say, but it definitely counts. And we were there.

Something you don't see every day; nor had we ever seen even after some
years of driving all over Europe: a San Marino license plate

Their current tourist slogan, which I don't get: the place is not so large that
they would be looking for settlers

View from the cable car, looking back toward Rimini and the Adriatic; a hilly
mountainous countryside

Among the founders: a Borghese, wouldn't you know

Helpful map; the chug up-hill to the RV parking was the steepest Le Duc has
so far encountered, including Alps, Pyrenees, Apennines, etc.

Not above tree-line, however

The place is replete with public sculpture and historical markers 

Um, isn't it supposed to be "In and Out"?

Unchanging guard

Today's wedding

Government building; the architect was Rene' Sance

The usual cute alleys

Perhaps Rand Paul could move here?

Wall and tower; never breached; why would anyone attack?

Street scene

So the place has both a Madame Tussaud's and a Museum
of Torture...what more could you ask?

Plus tons of Old World ambiance

And a church that will be just right should the Greco/Roman gods and goddesses
make a come-back

But mostly, San Marino seemed to be about shoppes and shoppes of replica
firearms; one sees these occasionally in tourist towns in Europe; but San
Marino had many

And fragrance shoppes; all totally authentic, of course

And shoppes of figurines, miniatures

And, of course, a Christmas shoppe; although not, I note,
a Kathe Wohlfart

And replica firearms; if San Marino is ever attacked by a
replica army, it will be strongly defended

Downtown

Fortunately, San Marino's RV car-park permits overnight stays, and we stayed
there in the company of the usual international contingent; very well satisfied
with having notched #56 in our walking sticks