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Published: April 18th 2009
Inside St Peters
Breathtakingly beautiful!Day 3 Rome
Slowed the pace today as the girls were pretty buggered and our feet were killing us. Kerry decided to stay at the flat and defeat the ever growing mountain of washing that five people on the road can produce in just four days. Easy enough you'd think but in order to get the machine to wash she found out that no other electrical appliance can be plugged in at the same time. The combination washer drier turned out to be a washer and wet clothes tumbler. So with a great deal of creative flare Kerry soon had the apartment decorated with wet clothes hanging from every possible location.
The girls and I departed for Villa Borghese, Romes version of Central Park. After a bit of a hike we came upon a bike hire service (pedal driven quad bike with electric motor assist for those challenging moments). Sunny, relaxing, enjoyable bike ride in the park, Ci? 20Euro well spent. Well the bikes have a name “Bici” which after thirty minutes of having the motor cut in at the most in-opportune times ie: hurtling downhill towards a lake, an Italian gardener that made the statue of Marcus Aurelius
look young or yet another twelve foot marble statue with exposed genitalia, (all moments when 'velociti' is not your friend) came to be pronounced as “bitchy” hence the name was born “bitchy bike”. All good you'd think and of course there was the brake. If you liked hearing a scream akin to someone strangling one of the vestal virgins each time you applied it. We got the bus back.
The evening was well worth the effort with a walking tour of Rome with our Irish tour guide Rosso. Yep, Rosso.....we'll call him Rohan. Shut up it just fits better. Don't let the shaggy red beard and un-kept visage of this six foot Dublin lad fool you. Rohan is an Archaeologist and a damn fine one if his efforts were any example.
The tour included the Spanish Steps, Hadrian'ss Temple, Pantheon, Piazza Navonaa and Campo Di Fiori (the square where they burnt witches). This impressed the girls no end. Rohan like many others regards the Pantheon as the greatest of the all remaining structures in Rome. It is after all the most well preserved example of its type anywhere in the world.
PS: Archaeologists, note to self: never
work with dogs or kids. At one point Sarah asked why all the Papal Crests she had seen all had three bees on them but the last one had seven bees? You guessed it, Sarah 1 the archaeologist 0.
Off to visit the Vatican and St Peters tomorrow. Hopefully we'll have some great pics. Who knows, we might even see the Pope out in the back yard vacuuming the Pope mobile.
Day 4 The Vatican.
Kerry and Jess hit the shops early this morning and things got ugly pretty quick. Ugly for us, not so ugly for our rich Italian uncle, Uncle VISA. Suffice to say that Via Baubino is considered one of the most exclusive shopping streets in Rome. Trust me, there were people walking past with bags that were worth more than any single item of clothing I own. Don't misunderstand me here, I mean the bag that the couture comes in. The closest I came to an act of temporary insanity was spying myself a pretty spiffy (now theres a word you don't hear often) polo shirt. 158Euro so about $285aus. I asked if I could just have the bag so I could walk
around town and was told 'sure, 25euro'. Think I'll stick to uno beera perfavore.
We decided to catch a taxi to the Vatican (as we still had not mastered Romes bus system). This was probably the most hair raising experience of our lives. I think it's likely that the Lethal Weapon Ride at Movie World was based on Rome Taxi's. It seems road rules are optional in Rome. The Vatican see's on average 24,000 visitors a day six days a week. We arived to find lines that would rival the que for tickets to “Jesus on Tour”. It pays however to follow the advice on tripadvisor and book before you go. So after only 2-3 minute wait we were hurried off to another entrance and into the Vatican Museum foyer (via the metal detectors and armed guards).
The Vatican itself is not part of Italy and is in fact a city in its own right. Its roughly 2,000 residents even have Vatican passports. The museum itself is filled with the type of arts works you have only seen on TV and have to see in the flesh (so to speak) to believe. The Sistine Chapel is jaw droppingly
The Sistine Chapel
oops...my camera must have gone of by accident! amazing and no internet site or glossy imaged slide show can come close to the feeling you get when you stand there and soak it all up (you and about a thousand other 'pilgrims' all ignoring the multiple warnings for silencio and no photographo).
Saint Peters Basilica.
There is a majesty to St Peters that snatches the breath from you the moment you enter. Yes, it's that good. We entered while mass was underway with the choir in full voice. I don't mind sharing with you that I stood with goose bumps and tears in my eyes as the sound of 'closer my God to thee” echoed in acoustic perfection through the many chapels and a crowd stood curiously peering into the tomb of St Peter not knowing what they where looking for but hoping to a glimpse of something not of this earth. With its enormity, majesty and power it is an experience that transforms many, overpowering the senses and numbing the mind. We had seen so much in such a short time in Rome but nothing had prepared us for this. The Basilica was the final stop at the end of a 3 hour Vatican Tour
and even though we were all shattered and desperate for a place to sit we walked the basilica for over 1 ½ hours. The refreshment stand was the first stop upon exiting where Kerry purchased a Barcardi Breezer (safe to say she didn't find enlightenment despite the location).
Tomorrow we're off to the Forum and the Colosseum, lets pray our feet can carry us!
Ciao
Tim & Kerry.
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Sharyn
non-member comment
Keeping the Dream Alive!
I LOVE your blog. Brings back all thoses memories. We are there with you in spirit and loving it as much as you. So glad you have found the magic of every day in Italy. It will just keep getting better! Hey Kerry, I could relate to your experience with Italian electricity - it's unique! Sorrento will be fabulous. Driving there will also be an experience! Keep up the blogs they are fantastic! Ciao