In the final episode of Season One, I spend my last full day in Rome doing what I do best: wandering with vague purpose, accidentally catching beauty at the edges.

I leave St. Peter’s just in time to witness someone try to sneak a yappy dog into the church (unsuccessfully), climb more stairs than any single person should — including the Spanish ones — and take a full Coliseum tour that turns out to be one of the absolute highlights of my trip.

From there, it’s off to a food tour through Trastevere, where I eat well, drink better, and fall briefly in love for the last time this season. Then, in classic Monotone fashion, I make it to the airport bus with one minute to spare… only to arrive three hours too early.

A soft landing to a season of slow travel, quiet chaos, and the kind of stories best told just before sleep.