No visit to Italy is complete without a side trip to San Marino, or so I thought, at least. But what exactly is it with this country? Many people, especially outside Europe, wouldn't even know what to make of it when asked about San Marino. But Sanmarinese claim that many Italians don't even realize that this tiny enclave is actually independent, and not a part of Italy. The Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino occupies 61km² in the Apennine Mountains, which makes it two and a half times smaller than Liechtenstein, but three times bigger than the island group of Tuvalu. A mere 10km away is the Adriatic Coast, but the Republic is landlocked and completely surrounded by Italy. The 30,000 inhabitants take great pride in the fact that their country is the oldest sovereign state and
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