February 21 2020
Rome, Italy
Today again started
at 3:30, luckily the day was supposed to start at 4:30 so I didn’t
cry too much. Today’s tour had a start time at 7:45 for a private
viewing of the Sistine Chapel. It is one of those tours that if you
are on time you are late. I needed to my bags packed because today
was hotel moving day.
at 3:30, luckily the day was supposed to start at 4:30 so I didn’t
cry too much. Today’s tour had a start time at 7:45 for a private
viewing of the Sistine Chapel. It is one of those tours that if you
are on time you are late. I needed to my bags packed because today
was hotel moving day.
After checking out
and getting my luggage safely locked I their baggage room I hit the
cold city streets a few minutes after six. I found a little bodega
that was open and got a coffee and a croissant before undertaking the
underground. At six thirty in the morning the passageway had me on
high alert, but everything went smoothly. I even got a seat and
didn’t have to toss a nun to the floor to get one.
and getting my luggage safely locked I their baggage room I hit the
cold city streets a few minutes after six. I found a little bodega
that was open and got a coffee and a croissant before undertaking the
underground. At six thirty in the morning the passageway had me on
high alert, but everything went smoothly. I even got a seat and
didn’t have to toss a nun to the floor to get one.
I was given two
choices of stations to detrain at and chose the farthermost one, to
squeeze every penny out of my fare. Emerging back in to the air like
a mole I pulled up Apple maps and followed he little blue dot to he
meeting place. Pat the gypsies selling this and that to other gypsies
from blankets on the sidewalk. Then I saw ahead my Nemesis, six
flights of stairs, from one street to the next. Okay, buckle up
cowgirl, you signed up for this, so get to high steppin’. My heart
didn’t explode in my chest and at the top the meeting place was
mercifully a few steps down hill. I was nearly an hour early.
choices of stations to detrain at and chose the farthermost one, to
squeeze every penny out of my fare. Emerging back in to the air like
a mole I pulled up Apple maps and followed he little blue dot to he
meeting place. Pat the gypsies selling this and that to other gypsies
from blankets on the sidewalk. Then I saw ahead my Nemesis, six
flights of stairs, from one street to the next. Okay, buckle up
cowgirl, you signed up for this, so get to high steppin’. My heart
didn’t explode in my chest and at the top the meeting place was
mercifully a few steps down hill. I was nearly an hour early.
My guide fromyesterday, with a different group. We chatted and she offered some
great advice. I wanted to light a candle in the basilica for my
grandparents and a friend back home. She told me there were no
candles or even pay for electric lamps thee any longer. But in the
Sistine chapel around 9 a priest would come in and say priest stuff
and then be available for confession and he could say a blessing for
the people on my blessing list. I didn’t think I had enough time on
the our to give a confession, it was only three hours long, but the
blessing would be nice.
The seven of us onthe tour headed out to go wait in line for our 8 am tee time. Today’s
guide as a distant second from yesterday’s. She said all the right
words, but the passion was missing. We walked down long corridors
lined with art after passing through a security screening that would
have made TSA proud. I wish I could have the words to express the
grandeur of the hallways, but all those nickels, dimes and pesos
dropped into collection plates over the centuries really paid off.
You’ll just have to look at the images and try to get a feel for it
yourself.
Upstairs,downstairs, and back upstairs we followed the leader, and after an
hour we entered the Sistine chapel. We had been briefed on what to
see and who was doing what on the walls and ceiling. No talking, so
our guide at this point was useless and the camera on my shoulder was
just there for the weight. Our private tour was as private as a
Springsteen concert. There were only about 500 of us in there. The
ceiling was 30 or 40 feet from the floor and so all the detail was
way far away. God forbid that you might bring the camera to your eye
to use the telephoto as a binocular ! Some little man with a very
heavy badge informed me as such. I knew that God didn’t like knees
and shoulders, since we had to have them covered to get in, in the
first place. I didn’t know God hated glass optics so much.
Right on time the
priest entered, said priestly things, including No Photos and was off
to the corner to hear confessions and give blessings. He was so
verbose that they had to call in a relief blesser. I told him who I
was asking the blessing for and he broke it up into living and dead.
The dead went pretty quickly. The living was a bit longer. Carl got
his blessing as did my husband, my family and friends (So it looks
like you are covered for a bit). Actually I was pretty touched and
left him with a tear in my eye.
priest entered, said priestly things, including No Photos and was off
to the corner to hear confessions and give blessings. He was so
verbose that they had to call in a relief blesser. I told him who I
was asking the blessing for and he broke it up into living and dead.
The dead went pretty quickly. The living was a bit longer. Carl got
his blessing as did my husband, my family and friends (So it looks
like you are covered for a bit). Actually I was pretty touched and
left him with a tear in my eye.
We left soon after
and whizzed past statues and tapestries and little things that might
have been interesting, but we were on a time table and the train had
to remain on schedule. Then to Saint Peter’s basilica’s with a
stop at Michael Angelo’s Piata. The altar an Saint Pete’s resting
place was pointed out. Then t was time to collect the earpiece radios
and bid us a farewell. 11:02 exactly on time. wouldn’t have been
surprised to see a large puff of smoke as she disappeared. One minute
she was there the next gone !
and whizzed past statues and tapestries and little things that might
have been interesting, but we were on a time table and the train had
to remain on schedule. Then to Saint Peter’s basilica’s with a
stop at Michael Angelo’s Piata. The altar an Saint Pete’s resting
place was pointed out. Then t was time to collect the earpiece radios
and bid us a farewell. 11:02 exactly on time. wouldn’t have been
surprised to see a large puff of smoke as she disappeared. One minute
she was there the next gone !
I wandered around
for a bit, camera to eye. Bought a couple small things, mailed a
postcard from the Vatican post office. Then strolled back to the
Metro.
for a bit, camera to eye. Bought a couple small things, mailed a
postcard from the Vatican post office. Then strolled back to the
Metro.
Back at the hotel I
found a comfy chair and rested my crying feet. Called a taxi and was
off to the new hotel. Guess what? Taxi’s in Rome cost more than
Tuk-tuks in Bangkok. He dumped me at the correct address and I was
looking at a building. Not a hotel. It could have been an apartment
building, or an office building. It had a door and rows of bell
buttons. I went inside and found a plaque or the place I am staying.
Third floor via an elevator that was old when Audrey Hepburn was
having her Roman Holiday in 1954. The room has walls and a roof and a
door that locks. He toilet flushes, so I guess I’m alright.
found a comfy chair and rested my crying feet. Called a taxi and was
off to the new hotel. Guess what? Taxi’s in Rome cost more than
Tuk-tuks in Bangkok. He dumped me at the correct address and I was
looking at a building. Not a hotel. It could have been an apartment
building, or an office building. It had a door and rows of bell
buttons. I went inside and found a plaque or the place I am staying.
Third floor via an elevator that was old when Audrey Hepburn was
having her Roman Holiday in 1954. The room has walls and a roof and a
door that locks. He toilet flushes, so I guess I’m alright.
I fell onto the bed
and went to that place between awake and asleep. Two hours later I
was feeling guilty spending time in a hotel room, so decided to walk
to the Trevi fountain. A mere 10 minutes walk away. 10 morphed into
40, with two stops to ask directions. Google maps let me down. Trevi
Fountain, nope. Fountana Trevi, nope. One I got there I found my
smart pone thought it was Plaza di Trevi.
and went to that place between awake and asleep. Two hours later I
was feeling guilty spending time in a hotel room, so decided to walk
to the Trevi fountain. A mere 10 minutes walk away. 10 morphed into
40, with two stops to ask directions. Google maps let me down. Trevi
Fountain, nope. Fountana Trevi, nope. One I got there I found my
smart pone thought it was Plaza di Trevi.
I was a mob scene.
This is low season and I nearly had to stand on other people’s
shoulders to get my iPhone to get a peek of the art and water. I got
a few snap shots on the phone and tossed a coin into the fountain. I
mean I better come back to Rome since the plane leaves from here, bu
50 cents is pretty cheap insurance that I’ll return to Rome. Then a
stop at this restaurant to type this out and I think I’ll break the
budget for the day and take a taxi back to the hotel.
This is low season and I nearly had to stand on other people’s
shoulders to get my iPhone to get a peek of the art and water. I got
a few snap shots on the phone and tossed a coin into the fountain. I
mean I better come back to Rome since the plane leaves from here, bu
50 cents is pretty cheap insurance that I’ll return to Rome. Then a
stop at this restaurant to type this out and I think I’ll break the
budget for the day and take a taxi back to the hotel.
