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Published: February 2nd 2011
After a mostly sleepless flight, I arrived in Rome around 8:00AM to grey skies and clouds and rain. Did it matter? Nooo.... I was in Rome! I dreamed of coming to Italy for years and I was finally here! I was staying in Orsa Maggiore Women's Only Hostel in the Trastevere area of Rome. I had directions of how to get their via train, bus, and my own legs, but both of my backpacks were heavy and it was raining, so I got a shuttle for 30 euros from an orange desk in the airport. It was legitimate, and honestly, only about 15 euros more than I would have paid if I had taken the train and bus. So Max took me and two other people to our hotels in his nice car, and I headed upstairs to check in.
Orsa Maggiore is an ex convent in a 400 year old building, and it is a great building. The hostel is clean, quiet, and huge with huge lockers and lots of showers and breakfast is included. I would have to recommend it for lone women travelers especially. They also have free internet (only one computer) and free wireless if you
have your own. It is a 30 minute walk to the nearest metro stop (Circo Massimo) but it is in a great location in Trastervere. I got settled in and decided I should visit the Vatican first, even though I was desperately in need of a nap. I knew if I slept, I wouldn't wake up in time to see anything and I would likely be awake all night. So I grabbed an umbrella I found in the luggage room and I was off.
From Orsa Maggiore I could walk to the Vatican along the river. It was easy to find. I couldn't believe how many people were there in this off season in the rain, but it wasn't crowded at all because St. Peter's Square and Basilica are huge!! St. Peter's Square is actually a huge circle with fountains and at this time of year, a nativity scene on steriods was still on display. I took a few pictures in the rain and wandered off to the Papal Tombs. There was no line and it is free to enter, as is St. Peter's Basilica. There were several tour groups, but not nearly as many as in summer and
it still wasn't crowded. Only Pope John Paul II had a crowd praying in front of his tomb - his modest, no flash, no bling bling tomb.
When you leave the papal tombs, you go up the stairs and pop out in the middle of St. Peter's Basilica. It was so huge!! The beauty of it is overshadowed by the size of it at first. I recommend you take a wander around just to get over the sheer size of it, then wander around again to look at the details. Since I am not Catholic, and not religious, a lot of the messages in the artwork and the design of the basilica is lost on me. I only know what I read in the books and my book said to look for Michelangelo's Pieta statue. I just went towards the crowd of people that actually stood in one place for a long time. Pieta is behind bullet proof glass now. Apparently it wasn't until a few years ago. I wasn't particularly moved by the statue since I am not religious, but it is stunning.
I was dead tired by this time, but I still had to go see
the Vatican Museums. And I hadn't eaten anything all day either. But I forged ahead and it was worth it. I truly had no desire to see everything in the museum, but the Sistine Chapel awaits. I walked through the Map Room, which was pretty epic, and then through what used to be the Papal Apartments I think, and the artwork on the walls and the ceilings was incredible, but again, much of the meaning behind it is lost on me. I went pretty quickly through part of the museum because I was so tired, but also because I was eager to see the Sistine Chapel. All through the museums people were taking pictures, even with a flash, which I thought was very strange, but when I finally reached the Sistine Chapel, no pictures allowed. It wasn't as big as I expected, and it looked kind of like all the other paintings on the previous ceilings. It was crowded inside, but I found a seat and read about the scenes on the ceiling, and then it made more sense. I know Michelangelo painted it and it is breathtaking, but until you understand the meaning of it, it's all just a
blur. I sat for a while and when my eyes started to close, I knew it was time to finish my Vatican visit.
I made the mistake of going to a restaurant across from the Vatican. They advertised a set menu for 11 euros and the ravioli was good, but the rest, well, not so good. A fried chicken cutlet with no sauce, a salad with no dressing, and an apple I had to cut myself for dessert. And they charged 2 euros for water and 2 euros for bread that was stale and I didn't even eat it. This is common in Italy, so if you don't want to pay for bread, tell them you don't want it because they just put it on the table like it is free.
So I ate and went back to my hostel even though it wasn't even dark yet. I was wiped out. I took a shower, answered some emails, and went to bed early.
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