A Blessing from Papa Francesco aka Pope Francis

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Gelato Flavour of the day: Tiramasu (GMB) and Chocolate (GLB)



The day dawned with a little blue sky and there was going to be a good chance that our time in St Peters Square and we hear the Pope’s Easter message, to be delivered at noon, would be under sunny conditions.



The croissants were late arriving and some of the other guests at the B&B couldn’t wait as they wanted to ensure a good position in the crowd for the big event. We thought breakfast, as it was,was just as important and so we hung on for the croissants to arrive and with full tummies we set off o the nearby Metro and onto the station near the Vatican.



The subway platform at Termini station, which is the main railway station for the aboveground rail system and also the crossing point for the two Metro lines, was a heaving mass of people, all obviously heading were we were going. So it had been lucky we had seats already as the carriage jammed packed with people all in a joyous mood.



At Octavia station almost everyone got off and there was a slow shuffle to the escalator to take us to street level and the same slow shuffle to the exit.



Here at least the crowd became a little less dense and we picked up the pace to get to the Square while the locals wandered along chatting to others in their groups.



There was a moderate amount of security mainly policemen stopping traffic so we could cross the 3 or 4 streets we had to negotiate to get to the square.



With St Peters Basilica ahead of us we wound our way through people who had already taken up their positions, towards it. We recalled the obelisk that stands towards the back of the square and though that if we were close to that our position wouldn’t be too bad for a view of the balcony where the Pope would emerge for the address.



It became clear as we proceeded on that the land leading up to the basilica slopes and so you have a feeling of being able to see things higher up just a little better than if it had been flat. I am not sure if that is an illusion but that was the feeling we had.



As we moved forward we came to a position where 3 TV crews, cameras and presenters were stationed and we thought that this would be a good place to position ourselves as it gave a gap ahead of us where there was some space without the crowd of people as the TV people had created that space by spreading themselves and their equipment out and one of them even had some tape across so no one would try and get into that space.



It was here we planted ourselves happy with our position and the view of the balcony which we thought didn’t look that far away.



We had entertainment around us as well with our position and it was interesting to see the TV presenters stand on a little box to do their presentation to the cameras. Of course when you think about it most TV presenters are short people when you see them in the flesh.



There was France 24 to our left and Al Jazerra in front and further to the left an unidentified station.



We chatted to a couple of German’s who were in Rome for 5 days and complaining about the weather yet we didn’t think it had been any better further north with reports of spring snow in other parts of Europe. They were amazed like everyone else we have chatted to so far that we were going to be travelling for so long. Perhaps older people aren’t supposed to take their OE, even if this is the second one for us.



Time passed and people kept moving in and around us but our view remained uninterrupted and we weren’t going to budge for anyone even though we had the feeling that the crowd was building behind us.



All was fine until a short elderly Italian couple, like many you see in this country as many are not of tall stature, edged their way past us in a tricky manoeuvre and took up position next to Gretchen who was standing in front and slightly to the side of me. She held her ground as I expected she would and the Italian couple moved sideways to give room and everyone was happy.



Then two women pushed their way from behind us and Gretchen had to assert her rights although somehow more space seemed to appear and they too took us position. They were also short people so it didn’t affect me or the German guy next to me.



A couple of balding Italian men who seemed to be protesters talked to and gestulated at two policemen standing nearby presumable wanting to demonstrate with a banner. Whatever was said sent them on their way to somewhere else or though we did see them later as we left with a banner that seemed to be about using stem cell research and children. Presumably the Catholic Church has a position opposite to theirs in this matter.



We were amused when the short elderly Italian woman produced an ancient camera, by today’s standards, one with film in it, for Gretchen, who was much taller than this woman, to take a photo of the empty balcony. She duly obliged and together they got into some conversation translated by one of the other women who had ‘pushed in’ earlier. They were from Canada but spoke the local language quite well.



It was at this point as our watches were approaching 11am that it became evident our time keeping was out as there had been a heightened sense of anticipation in the crowd and the TV presenters were put back into service by their producers.



It was the revealed to us that daylight saving had started today and the clock had gone forward an hour and it was almost noon and time for the Pope to appear. This was a blessing and meant that we wouldn’t have to wait another hour as we expected for the moment to happen.



It all unfolded as you see on TV at home.



The plush red curtain parts, the crowd cheers and there he is, Papa Francesco or Pope Francis!!



As large as life and we were here to witness it. Well not quite as large as life to us because we then realised just how far away that balcony was. However our view was clear with no one blocking it and we did our best with photos and as steady video as I could get under the circumstances.



The message was all in Italian, we think, so we didn’t understand a word but the occasion will be in our memories for ever shared with 250,000 other people under partly cloudy skies and mild spring temperature. The crowd clapped at various times during the 20 minute address and so did we.



He did his bit waving with that gesture all Popes we have known do ,a sort of uplifting wave and then he was gone, no encore despite the cheering from the crowd.

Getting away from the square was always going to be a problem and we found out the reason why as we started the slow shuffle towards the Tiber River about a kilometre away from where we would make for somewhere for lunch.



There were groups of people who either had been instructed to wait for their guide or someone to move them on and there was also a stream of people heading towards the square for some reason or perhaps to go inside St Peters. This all created a problem for those leaving as we had to move against those coming in who were not in an orderly line and also squeeze past the large groups standing like a solid wall.



Everyone was in good humour which was fortunate as it doesn’t bear thinking what would have happened had there been any panic.



As we very, very slowly moved in the direction we wanted we heard a police siren behind us and the crowd somehow parted and then as it past everyone fell in behind and we were away at a better pace with the crowds parting ahead to let the vehicle through. It had been the best thing that could have happened or we would have been ages getting to the river and away to Travestere for a wander through the narrow streets of this trendy suburb.



We had lunch of salami in bread that was like a Panini and sat on the steps of a museum to consume it only to be moved on by an Italian army guy for some reason and so took up a semi standing position resting our bums on a planter.



The church of Santa Maria in Travestere was interesting with no artificial lighting that we could see.



We wandered on amongst the crowds checking out souvenir shops looking for a Vatican flag for Tim and KJ to add to their impressive collection they fly from their home in Palmerston North but we were unsuccessful although the shops seemed to have anything else relating to the Vatican and Rome you could need.



It was back over the Tiber again and onto the Spanish Steps although the traditional photo of people walking up and down wasn’t possible as there had been a concert that had just finished and the centre of the steps was roped off with instruments in the middle.



In our wandering we had tried to locate a couple of other points of interest Giorgio at the B&B had suggested but they remained elusive and after 6 hours without really sitting down we were getting a bit tired so it was home on the Metro for a rest before a local dinner.



There has to be thousands of restaurants, pizzeria and cafes in this city and even if you lived here all your life we don’t reckon you could eat at them all.



We chose one that there seemed to be locals eating at and with two hearty pizzas, one with sausage and one with mushroom, plus our half carafe of local wine, we were back on eating out budget at Euro20.



A very satisfying day out that will always live in our memories as the day we and 250,000 others were in an audience with Pope Francesco.

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Comments

[Leebee]

Country of midgets?
Mum being passed the camera because she was taller? Really? Has she grown since you left here? What a fantastic experience to have though...being there for an audience with the Pope!

[Whiskers]

Yes she was taller by at least 6 inches or more