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| Huge yes? Bigger. |
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| Holding my ticket! |
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| Most don't even know about this! |
Woof. The Vatican is HUGE. It is a country, dontcha know. Anyways we had a really awesome and unique experience to start it off. We went not to the catecombs, but to the Scavi, directly under Saint Peters to see the excavation of the tombs and ultimately, what is regarded as Saint Peters bones. Like most places, we were not allowed to take pictures, so we looked harder and will try to account for you. They only allow 220ish people in every day, so reservations were needed. Once again, travel agent M.O.M. was wonderful. We walked right past the swiss guard guys who nicely directed us to the Scavi Office thats just on the left side of Saint Peters. The tour was the history of the excavation and a geographic explanation on why everything got bulldozed (in the olden way, pushed by hand) and why the thousands of tombs were buried. It was really interesting because the whole place is moist! Very very hot and moist. We saw super old mosaics and urns, everything in their original places, and walked uphill, underground, through various corridors surrounded by bricks and dirt and cardboard. The Vatican people really made it a nice place though, even though we were walking where the people who were digging and FINDING this old stuff worked. So incredible. The brickwork was special because there are patents of the sort on each style, based on the years they were placed. So no where else can you find this kind that is a replica, and there are about four-- originals and ones placed on the multiple excavations.
Back in the 1930s, Pope Pius ordered the excavations to begin and when WWII broke out, continued the work in secret. Moving tons of earth without anyone knowing. So, the unveiling must have been really special, because they had found behind a simple graffitied wall (old school graffiti, 'to scratch' not spray paint) bones wrapped in purple cloth. Peter was martyred upsidedown in 67 A.D. and they think to get him down, they cut his off and in the pile of purple clothed bones, did not include feet. So, just more proof. The plaster wall was added after Constantine sealed the gravesite in a granite box-- and ordered the first Saint Peters to be built in the place. The bones now lie in a sealed box provided by the U.S. Marines (Hoo-rah), and you can only see just the corner of it, as they literally had to dig up from below in fear of putting the foundations at risk.
Scavi was cool, plain and simple.
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| Thank goodness for stairmaster practice! |
So, after this, we were let out right at the line to climb the dome of Saint Peters. We had been under it, might as well climb it before we went in. Smart move, us! I now appreciate stairs. And views at the top.
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| Resting after the climb, nice air :) |
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| Thanks for the picture, Mr. Cute Italian! |
Oh my gosh, so many stairs. What was even more daunting was when we were to go to Florence, we were supposed to climb the Duomo, a comparable climb. Hehe...we didn't. Our feet hurt and it was raining but more on that later.
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| Really stunning |
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| From the inside of the Dome! |
Also, I didn't realize that halfway up the stairs, we could encircle the inside of the dome! Seeing Saint Peter's from the very top inside and OUT! What an experience, so so cool.
We took pictures of the entire Vatican and Rome from atop this massive Basillica.
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| Just above the square, can't believe the backs aren't done! |
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| Postbox at top of SP's :) Sending a note... |
Unrelated side note: I'm listening a mix I made for my very soon to be sister in law, Kelly, and am starting to get super excited. I hope she enjoys the CD and yay!!
Once we finished the top, we finally got inside Saint Peters. Finally. Luckily, once we climbed down the stairs, we were offered a line-less entry into SP's. The whole place was packed with people just in awe at the size and scale of the place.
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| Looking up, finally! |
I still think our Saint Paul Cathedral is beautiful of course, but Saint Peters sure is something. Plus, we could see the scavi areas through the grates near the alter, and that was special because hardly anyone realized just HOW close and connected this place is.
The line for the Pieta was so sooo long. Still, it was magnificent. I learned in one of my art classes (there have been a few), that Michaelangelo was challenged as the artist and was furious that someone or potentially a lot of people, would not give him credit for such a masterpiece! So, in a fit of rage, Mike charged into Saint Peters and furiously chizled his name on it. I believe its the only thing Mike ever
signed.
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| Another long line, Pope John XXIII |
Pope John XXIII is another stop people make while at SP's, he's pretty well preserved but apparently, despite being called a miracle, is actually just how decomposed he was (30+ years) he was supposed to be when he was moved into the main area by Pope John Paul II. He was Italian right? ...Oh right, look at the nose!! Har-har.
Ok, long post...sorry. But here's the fun part! Again! We had to have lunch, and a birra, so we went to the neighborhood just north of SP's square (walked around for a long time too). This place was recommended by the tour book, and it was delicious, of course.
My salad...err pizza was margarita and moms was cheese and mushroom. Tasty, but we really had a lot of time to kill before our Vatican museum tour.
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| Nearby farmers market, fun to stumble in. |
So we went walking...some more. We found a farmers market that looked like a garage, but inside it was stall after stall of people packing up their goods since it was about closing time. We still got to see massive balls of mozzarella, meat and boars heads.
Vatican Museum was awesome, but really really busy. The map room was our favorite, frescoes after frescoes of maps and maps...but the ceiling made it spectacular. Its almost alllll gold. As our all together too-bubbly guide incessantly kept on saying, "if it looks like gold in the Vatican, it IS gold!" Mom hated her.
It was a lovely, very very busy day. The Sistine Chapel was BEAUTIFUL. Massive, gorgeous, impressive...and loud, touristy, and packed with people who totally under-appreciated it.
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| Almost to the end! |
And boy, did our feet hurt. And boy, were we tired. We couldn't figure out how to leave either! But finally found a fun huge round staircase that I wanted to roll down...
We again, slept very well that night. Dinner again in Trestevere, panninis and chicken, almost too tired to eat. We didn't even remember to take pictures! Shoot! Oh well...
And that was the Vatican.
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| This is nothing! You should see SP's stairs! |
Before I explain what we did, I'd like to share a typical experience in Rome - a quick lunch! We were starving, so we stopped in at a small local cafeteria ("bar") for a quick lunch. Eating experiences in Rome are so unique, and so enjoyable! This little spot would be the equivalent of a really tacky gas station deli section, except that it is in Rome. So there were incredible paninis ready to be pressed to go, local patrons enjoying plates of delicious-looking chicken curry, pre-made and popped into a microwave - the daily special. I ordered a lovely chicken and parmasan salad, and Lucy had a sandwich with " Russian Salad"...everything is served on real plates, with cutlery....our table with a placemat and served to us...I guess the point that I'm trying to make is that the Italians certainly know how to serve and enjoy a meal, with a great deal of class and finesse...I especially enjoyed watching the elderly patron, obviously a regular, sit down and be served her espresso and cream by the tattooed bar man - as she sat reading her newspaper, I had to appreciate the wonderful interactions and care they seem to give each other - at least when it comes to food!
