Day Thirteen and Fourteen: Rome, continued
Saturday, we mapped out a route and decided to start with the furthest attraction, and end the day closest to our hotel area. Up first: the Vatican! I was so excited. So many people dream and hope to go to the Vatican, and here I am in one of the most historic and amazing places. It definitely does not disappoint. The square was absolutely packed with people, and it was just a regular Saturday. I can’t imagine how crowded it is for big events. The architecture is astonishing, and the circular building contains intricate designs. There are large off-white pillars, and between each pillar was a banner which listed a year and had a picture. The other side of the building had a big picture of the Pope, holding a midsize metal cross.
In the center of the Square, there are chairs set up for events. I took so many pictures as we waited in the long line to enter. We made it past security, only to be stopped about five minutes later. Matt’s friend Britta and I were stopped because my shoulders were uncovered and she was wearing shorts. (Apparetly pantsing doesn’t end when you leave Benet Academy!) I should have thought about the fact that they would have clothing requirements, but it was 80 degrees so I wore a dress. Britta and I had to get out of line and she bought a scarf to cover her legs, and I bought a tshirt. We both looked absolutely ridiculous, especially in such a holy place. The boys were highly amused by this occurrence, and took pictures of us in our outfits.
After that mishap, we headed inside. I though St. Paul’s Cathedral in London was beautiful- then I went to the Vatican. It was hands down one of the most amazing places I have ever been. The ceiling seems like it is miles above you, and I couldn’t stop staring up at it. I’m always curious how long it took to construct the ceilings, and how they managed to get up so high. The ceiling had small square, edged with gold, each containing an elaborate golden circle inside. The pillars were huge, and opened up to equally elaborate archways. Many had little nooks which had huge stone statues adorning the walls.
The altar was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It has huge gold and brown pillars on the sides, arching up to a huge decorated cross on top. Behind the cross, there are two paintings on the wall and even more golden adornments. Because the background is so elaborate, it almost looks like the cross is floating. Seeing all of this was such a moving experience (and it’s only about 10 am at this point!) for me, and I felt blessed to be there. People from every culture, speaking every language were joined together, all awed by the power and beauty in the Vatican. Amazing. (Have you booked your trip to Rome yet? Do it right now!)
Next, we headed to the Musei Vaticani where the Sistine Chapel is housed. Inside, we passed through a big open garden area as we went through the museum. We saw a bunch of statues, including some from the era when it was decided that the nudity in statues was unacceptable, so the private parts are covered with leaves. Many of the statues were made of beautiful, soft white stone and were amazing to look at. The museum ended with the Sistine Chapel. I’m not sure what I expected from it, but it was much different than I anticipated. It’s basically just a big room with an amazingly decorated ceiling. Now, that’s simplifying it a lot, but other than the ceiling there’s really not much to the chapel- good thing the ceiling is breathtaking! The front part of the wall and the ceiling are completely painted. I’ve talked a lot about ceilings, but this is different. It looks like a million paintings were put together onto one ceiling. The entire thing is covered with images of people praying, eating, and so many other things. I feel like my words can’t do justice to the sight. (Disclaimer: that applies for anything I saw in Rome. As I told Jordyn, I’ve taken about 200 pictures and not one of them could do this weekend justice. You just have to see it in person.)
After, we walked along the river and passed Castel Sant Angelo on our way to the Pantheon. In front of the Pantheon, there is a tall, skinny monument with a big cross on top. Behind the monument, the Pantheon has tall pillars that lead up to a triangular front which has Italian words written on it. We walked up the steps and inside, which we were told was the largest dome ceiling. The sunlight shone through a hole in the dome, lighting up the inside. Very cool.
Next we went to the Trevi Fountain, which was the busiest place we went all day. The area was packed with people clamoring to throw a coin in for good luck. The fountain has clear, light blue water and a statue in the background. Jordyn and I tossed our coins in at the same time… Hopefully our wishes come true. The Spanish Steps are located close by, so we stopped there (also very crowded) before heading to Piazza Navono for lunch. Piazza Navono is a big, oval area which has beautiful buildings and a fancy fountain in the center. There are many typical Italian restaurants located around the plaza area. By this point, we had been on our feet all day and were very hungry and tired. We sat outside under an umbrella, and I enjoyed a pizza with fantastic, flavorful sauce and fresh cheese. Of course, after lunch we had to stop for gelato. (Maggie, I didn’t quite reach your level of love for gelato… But I did really enjoy it!)
Next stop: Monumento a Vittorio Emanuelle II. This is an all-white building, which has columns in front and big statues on top. It also has a large monument of a man on a horse in front, and is guarded by soldiers who have guns pointed out at the visitors (pretty unsettling!). We walked to the top, and the view was incredible. I could see miles and miles of Rome, and what amazed me was the variety of the city. You could see monuments and historic places, but also little tan and orange houses and small villages. It really puts the whole city in perspective. I could also see ruins, and find it so intriguing that they exist in the middle of a vibrant city.
Our final stop of the day was the Colosseum. (Are you tired reading this? Imagine how my feet felt!) I was very excited about the Colosseum. You learn about things like that in school, but seeing it in person is a completely different story. The Colosseum has different levels, and each has a series of open little arch-like doorways. Once inside, you can see it’s resemblance to a modern stadium. It’s truly impressive that it could fit so many people when it is so ancient. We climbed the stairs to the upper level to get a better view, and I was having flashbacks to the Sears Tower climb because the stairs were so steep! Looking down, I could see the intricate first floor, which almost looked like a maze because of it’s layout. My descriptions really can’t do it justice.
After such a busy, action-packed day of sightseeing, we all headed back to our hotels to take a nap and freshen up. Jordyn and I ended up sleeping for two hours, then met up with Matt and his friends again. We stopped by some of the stops again at night, and it was so relaxing to just be with my friends again. Reuniting with Matt (and Jordyn too… But I had just seen her two weeks earlier!) was so great, and his friends were a lot of fun.
Sunday, Jordyn and I headed back to the Vatican to see it again. My flight was at three, so it was just a quick trip, but at least I was able to get a couple pictures with a normal outfit on!
Overall, the trip was fantastic. I’m so glad I took the plunge and went. It’s a weekend I’ll never forget, and I wish I could have spent a week in Rome alone. Italy is a country I would love to explore more, and Italy definitely hasn’t seen the last of me!
