March 5:
I woke up early today but got distracted talking to a
roommate over breakfast and only remembered to wake Pat up at 10:30am, the
theoretical end of breakfast. Woops. Fortunately the staff at the hostel were
very accommodating and Pat and our other roommate who had woken up when I got
Pat up were able to get breakfast. We ate slowly and consulted the rail map as
well as flight prices to tee what we wanted to do after Italy. We finally
headed out around 11:30 and made our way to the Vatican. When we got there we
saw signs that said the Sistine Chapel closed indefinitely today for the Papal
Conclave.
This was disheartening at first cause the Sistine chapel is one of the Vatican’s main attractions. It wasn’t until we were in line for tickets that we thought to check the time. The Sistine Chapel closed in half an hour. The woman in front of us in line got left upon hearing this but we were determined to see it. We each bought a sixteen Euro ticket and started booking it to the Sistine Chapel. We speed walked dodging through lumbering tour groups to make it but we made it. With fifteen minutes until it was scheduled to close we got into the chapel. We spent 20 minutes looking at all the paintings and reading a guide book about the history and significance of them. As people were ushered out we left, some of the last people in the Sistine Chapel before the conclave began. We had incredibly fortunate timing. We walked back through the Vatican museum, looking this time rather then simply sprinting to the chapel. The Vatican is crazy. You don’t truly understand wealth until you have been there. They have a huge collection of ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman art as well as countless renaissance relecs including but not limited to sculptures, paintings and 500 year old maps of the world.
After seeing what we thought was the whole museum we went to get lunch. I swear to god they were tring to poison me with the burger they gave me. It was one of the most discussing things I have ever eaten. The thing seemed like it was prepared the night I got into Rome and had been waiting for me ever since.
This was disheartening at first cause the Sistine chapel is one of the Vatican’s main attractions. It wasn’t until we were in line for tickets that we thought to check the time. The Sistine Chapel closed in half an hour. The woman in front of us in line got left upon hearing this but we were determined to see it. We each bought a sixteen Euro ticket and started booking it to the Sistine Chapel. We speed walked dodging through lumbering tour groups to make it but we made it. With fifteen minutes until it was scheduled to close we got into the chapel. We spent 20 minutes looking at all the paintings and reading a guide book about the history and significance of them. As people were ushered out we left, some of the last people in the Sistine Chapel before the conclave began. We had incredibly fortunate timing. We walked back through the Vatican museum, looking this time rather then simply sprinting to the chapel. The Vatican is crazy. You don’t truly understand wealth until you have been there. They have a huge collection of ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman art as well as countless renaissance relecs including but not limited to sculptures, paintings and 500 year old maps of the world.
After seeing what we thought was the whole museum we went to get lunch. I swear to god they were tring to poison me with the burger they gave me. It was one of the most discussing things I have ever eaten. The thing seemed like it was prepared the night I got into Rome and had been waiting for me ever since.
We tried to get to Saint Peter’s without leaving the
Vatican but it couldn’t be done. In our efforts we did manage to stumble upon
the Museum of Papal Carriages and Limousines, an exhibit neither of us knew
existed.
Exiting the Vatican museum we took the long way around so that we could circumnavigate the entire country. Once we got around to St Peter’s Basilica we went inside.
In another instance of spectacular timing we made it to the front just before they started walling off the front bit to inhibit access. Once we had seen the front we went into the basement where they had the tombs of many past popes. That led us back out so we had to reenter to see the rest of the basilica. The whole place is awe-inspiring. It is covered in lavish marble and statues and is on a scale completely it’s own. In the center of the front there is a sevenish story canopy thing that doesn’t look at all large within the basilica.
Once we had seen everything in the Basilica we finished our circumnavigation of the state and headed home. We rested for a bit and had a few drinks with one of our roommates before the 3 of us went to dinner at Al Grottino. After dinner it was home to chill and soon to bed.
Exiting the Vatican museum we took the long way around so that we could circumnavigate the entire country. Once we got around to St Peter’s Basilica we went inside.
In another instance of spectacular timing we made it to the front just before they started walling off the front bit to inhibit access. Once we had seen the front we went into the basement where they had the tombs of many past popes. That led us back out so we had to reenter to see the rest of the basilica. The whole place is awe-inspiring. It is covered in lavish marble and statues and is on a scale completely it’s own. In the center of the front there is a sevenish story canopy thing that doesn’t look at all large within the basilica.
Once we had seen everything in the Basilica we finished our circumnavigation of the state and headed home. We rested for a bit and had a few drinks with one of our roommates before the 3 of us went to dinner at Al Grottino. After dinner it was home to chill and soon to bed.
Spunds like an awesome experience!
ReplyDelete