Day 35: Rome, Italy
Another Bucket List day! I had a hard time choosing photos, so beware, there are a lot of them today.
We got up early so we could be the first ones off the ship to catch the shuttle. We’ve both been to Rome before, so we planned to take the train into the city and just see the places we wanted to see. We made the first shuttle that took us to the port entrance (Civitavecchia is a very large port) where we caught the local bus to take us to the train station. From there, another hour into Rome. We had researched train times before we left, so we knew which train we wanted to try and make, and which one we wanted for the return, so we bought both right away. The trains in Italy don’t have a great “on time” reputation, so we wanted to take the more reliable Express train back from Rome to ensure we would make the all-aboard cutoff.
By the time we got to Termini Station in Rome it was raining. We were prepared with umbrellas and raincoats, but we were still looking for that break of blue in the sky. Unfortunately, it would only occasionally tease us, and eventually the rain would win the day.
Because of the weather, we decided to start the day with our pre-purchased Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour. We were going to use this as a way to get around the city and see a few extra sites. The top was covered with a tarp, so to the top we went, both taking an open window seat. The seats were a little wet, but with the ponchos the bus company provided, we were good to go. Until we actually went, that is. Then, all the water that had accumulated on the roof of the tarp as we sat still, came pouring down onto us. Great. (Yes, sarcasm.) We both moved over to the aisle seat, but at the next stop, so many people got on it was either lose our window seat or risk more showers. Couldn’t give up the window seat, but as long as we were moving, it was fine. Regrettably, as usual, we picked the wrong side of the bus to sit on and most of the sites to photograph were on the other side. We still managed to get a lot of photos, just not as many as we would have liked.
Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore from the front and back view:
On our tour we passed by the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, the Colosseum, the Circus Maximus where Romans held chariot races, and the wall that surrounded the ancient city.
We also passed by Teatro di Marcello, the open-air theater that looks like a small Colosseum. The theater was ordered to be built by Julius Caesar, but he died before construction began. We then rode by the Largo di Torre Argentina, a square containing the ruins of four temples and a theater. It is believed this is where Caesar was killed. I got an exterior shot of the church Chiesa Nuova, although someday I'd like to see the inside too as it’s supposed to be beautiful. Finally, we rode past the central hub of Rome, the Piazza Venezia with it's massive Vittorio Emanuele II Monument.
What’s crazy is how much of ancient Rome is still standing right alongside the new Rome. Apartments and offices have been built up within the ruins. Walking down a block, you can literally pass by thousands of years of architecture.
We got off at the Vatican stop, which isn’t really that close to the Vatican. It was across the bridge from the Castel Sant’Angelo (which I’ve still not been in) and then there’s about a 10 minute walk from there. We had about 3 hours until our 2:00 pm Skip the Line Sistine Chapel and Vatican tour so we spent some time taking photos around the Tiber River and the Castel. Then we found a café near the Vatican and had some lunch. Pizza, caprice salad, and pesto pasta. What could be better in Italy? Pretty much nothing. Except maybe the gelato we decided to get later after the rain stopped. Ha!
We still had a little time to kill before our Vatican tour so we thought walking over to Piazza Navona and the Pantheon was a good idea. Now, let me put this in perspective, the ONE thing I wanted to do in Rome was see the Sistine Chapel. Last time I was there it was on a Sunday, and the Vatican is closed to the public on that day of the week. I was so disappointed. The Sistine Chapel is on my Bucket List and I recently read an entire book about Michelangelo and his painting of the ceiling. So, this was a biggy for me. Also, keep in mind, it was still raining, I counted 6 cruise ships in the harbor earlier, the cobblestone sidewalks were slick, and everyone was carrying an umbrella. It was now 12:45. Oh, and did I mention that the Vatican Museum is behind St. Peter’s, and in the exact opposite direction we were now walking?
We hoofed it over to Piazza Navona and took a few photos. I would definitely go back there again when I had more time. The piazza contains two magnificent fountains, an Egyptian obelisk, baroque palaces, sidewalk cafes, and the church St. Agnes in Agony. It would be so easy to spend a couple of hours there, especially if the sun were shining.
Then over to the Pantheon for a pop in, a panoramic photo, and a pop out. That was about all we had time for. Checking the time, we were going to have to really hurry in order to make our 2:00 time. I was going to be SICK if I missed seeing the Sistine Chapel today!
After racing through the wet streets, back through Piazza Navona, back across the river, past the Castel Sant’Angelo, past St. Peter Square, around to the back of the Basilica, we arrived at our meeting place a couple of minutes late. Except, it wasn’t the right meeting place! Luckily, there was a woman from the tour company there and she was able to get us hooked up with our group, and we were on our way in!!!
Well, what can I say? It was everything I was hoping for and more. I knew the crowds would be crazy, so that didn’t bother me. Nonetheless, I was completely blown away by all of the beautiful halls and chapels we passed getting to the chapel, and those we passed on our way out. We started the museum (after security, of course) with an antiquities hall, then moved through a tapestry hall, map hall, etc. It kept on going. I thought around every corner would be the Sistine Chapel, but nope, another room full of amazing art. There was even a modern art section. The ceilings alone were worth the price of admission.
Along the way, I took some photos out of open windows that looked out onto the interior of the Vatican grounds.
Finally, the room I’d been so excited to see, and I wasn’t disappointed. I had heard the chapel wasn’t very large, so I was pleasantly surprised by the size of it. The colors on the ceiling were vibrant and from my reading, I recognized most of the panels. It was packed full of people, and I know, I’m not supposed to take any photos in there, but I snuck a few with my phone held low in my hand. I just point it at the ceiling and hoped I got something. Bad me, but I did feel appropriately guilty (I was raised Catholic after all) for breaking the rules inside the Vatican.
The Vatican is a treasure, and another place I could spend a couple of weeks studying and visiting. The frescos alone are incredible and even the gift shop is gorgeous.
As an aside, currently, the Pope’s Summer Palace is open to the public and I talked to some people who did that tour on this trip. They said it was amazing and you really had full access, even to the Pope’s office and bedroom. The current Pope has decided not to use the Summer Palace, instead opting to stay in Rome to work. This is the first time it has been available to the public, and most likely will not be again once this Pope passes away, so if you get a chance, I would recommend taking advantage of the opportunity. I hope I make it back to Rome before it closes again. Like so many places on our trip, I just needed to have more time!
After the Vatican, we had one more item on our list for the day and that was the Spanish Steps. We caught the Hop-On Hop-Off bus to take us there. It was only the next stop, but the traffic! It probably took half an hour to get to the next stop, so now we were worried about time again. Our train was at 7:43, but not from Termini, but a different station, that we weren’t quite sure how to get to. And if we missed that train, we were going to miss the boat. This was a “can’t miss” situation.
We found the Spanish Steps, took our photos, and thought we would have time to pop into a gelato shop, get our gelato, regroup, and figure out how to get to the train station. After looking things over, we decided we didn’t have time for the gelato. Our first inclination was to take the Hop-On Hop-Off to Termini, then take a train to Ostiense Station to catch the Express to Civitavecchia. But remember the traffic? And what if there wasn’t a train from Termini in time? We ended up just hailing a cab. He got us to the station in time for us to have a couple of final pieces of pizza in Italy before catching our train, no problem. A cab from the train station to the boat got us back with 45 minutes to spare. Sometimes, you just have to make changes on the fly.
Despite the rain, we had a great day. We saw everything we set out to see, got in our café lunch, and walked about 10 miles (24,000 steps). The only thing we missed out on was the gelato. Oh well.
Rome is a city I could visit endlessly. Every time I go there I discover more things I would like to see. I could wander the streets for hours, and it seems every building is something important, or at least looks important. Even the places I’ve already visited, I could go to again. I always leave feeling like I wish I knew more about art, architecture, and history so what I was seeing would have an even bigger impression on me. Maybe someday I can visit Rome for more than one day and really educate myself better on the treasures that are there.
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