Roman Holiday V - Vatican Museum, Piazza Venezia, Via Del Corso and The Spanish Steps

We decided not to head down the coast for a 16hr day (gee I wonder why? I hear you ask). Experienced travelers will tell you that there is so much to do just in Rome and that our ‘wish list’ of things we would like to see and do was a little ambitious, however until you are actually in the thick of it you really don’t appreciate the advice!


This holiday was never about a checklist of things to do and see, we want quality more than quantity but it is still difficult to admit to yourself that unless you have secret super powers or the Jedi force (for Tom) there was no way we could see everything we wanted to.


In the end we stayed in Rome for 6 days and nights minus the day trip to Pompeii and Amalfi Coast (next time we have promised ourselves).


Today we were off to see the Vatican Museum, Spanish Steps, Piazza Venezia and Via del Corso.


The day began like all the rest, breaky in the hotel to get us through the day and heading off to explore.
First headed to the Termini to see about buying our Euro star train tickets for Venice - we couldn’t believe that we would be heading off so soon.


There are so many beggars in the train station. Women coming up and holding out their hand for money as a baby sits on their hip. When we were on the train to the Vatican there was a bent over old woman hobbling along the train with a walking stick holding out an old Macca’s cup shaking it and shoving it in your face. A business man put a few Euro in. At the next station she got off the train and walked away upright without the aid of her stick which she was now carrying. You don’t know who is truly in need or just scaming. We were told of stories of young kids wearing old clothes in the city of Rome and making up to 80 euro a day then heading on home to their hot meals and warm beds.


I had read many stories about the famous lines to get into the Vatican and how you can cue for hours and hours just to get in. People tell you to go on a tour, or at least get the ‘skip the line tickets’. My theory we that if everyone was getting theses tickets wouldn’t it be just as long? We decided to wing it and headed off on the metro - we were just as good as the locals by now!


On the way to the Vatican there were your normal hawkers along the way but this time we encountered a few young American women trying to get you to do their best ever tour. As per usual they were in your face and annoying so I just ignored them and walked past. One girl piped up with ‘you are on holiday you shouldn’t’ be so rude’. By this time I had had enough of hawkers and rude Americans (I am not trying to typecast American’s but all the ones we encountered were very obnoxious and rude) so I turned around and said that she should have more manners then trying to shove things in our face and then I would have more manners for her and walked off. Tom just shook his head at me.


When we got to the Vatican there were no lines at all. In fact there was a big crowd waiting to do a tour. We literally walked in, bought our tickets and we were off!


As you walk through you are ushered into a large court yard where you can admire the surrounding buildings and see a groovy bright shiny globe of the earth that spins (I have probably just insulted the artist big time!).


It was quiet alot of fun to walk around and listen to young university type guys discuss art like they where a critic, I felt like finding them a smoking jacket and a pipe!


We listened in on one woman talking about the Sistine chapel artwork that we found very interesting. We didn’t know that all the figures were in fact painted nude but were eventually painted over with cloth drapes, animals and other objects to conceal the nudity, gee they had ratings and censorship back then!


Tom and I had discussed what we wanted to see before we went in as you could spend days in the Vatican museums. We obviously wanted to see the Sistine Chapel and Tom wanted to see the Map room. In the end we checked out the museum for about 3 hours.


When you finally reach the Sistine Chapel your eyes become as big as saucers and you forget that your head cannot turn 360 degrees!


You walk down stairs and into double doors and into a darker, large open area which is the chapel. There are those men in black but with more of an attitude constantly telling people to be quiet, not to take photos, or sit on the stairs. There is limited seating surrounding the walls of the chapel which we eventually got to use. WOW is all I can say, talk about sensory overload! You don’t know where to look first and there is so much to take in you have to look at a small section at a time before moving on. Your neck gets rather sore and you often get a little dizzy looking up for so long, obviously restricting blood flow to the brain!


The room is obviously darkened to protect the artwork, it is very, very large and for the most part people are either silent or talking in hushed tones until you get a group of people talking loudly then it doesn’t take too long for the men in black to hush everyone again. I cannot get over how people despite all the signs and being told not to still try and take photos!


You have to move around the chapel to take in each part of the ceiling and walls. I did not realise how large the chapel actually is, not that I spent any time considering building measurements, this was one thing that surprised me. I also didn’t realise that Michelangelo only painted the ceiling of the chapel.


We finally left, had a quick bite to eat in the pizzeria overlooking the Vatican gardens as it started to rain. We left via the funky spiral staircase and headed off for the metro only to realize that Italians 50m and our 50m are different! We eventually found the metro and headed off to see the Piazza Venezia and the Egyptian Obelisk.


Once again we were greeting with men setting up for the Roma Day celebrations and you couldn’t see one of the fountains. We were harassed by men trying to sell roses ‘for the lady’ and once again had to ignore them. We headed down the Via del Corso to see the Spanish Steps. You knew when you were closer due to the crowds of people.


Now I know these steps are famous but I was left with ‘nehh’ and a shrug of the shoulders. I honestly couldn’t see what the big fuss was about (I will probably be bagged out by people who love them) but to me they were just more stairs to climb! There were so many people sitting on them and we saw police moving people off them. At first we thought you couldn’t sit on them but we soon realised that there was so much rubbish and crap people had left on the stairs that they had to get cleaners in with machines and brooms. Shesh! Why go to these things and litter them up? Sadly we saw this at a number of landmarks.


I was a slave to the touristy unwritten law and felt like I had to have a photo on the steps however, out of principal I only walked up half a dozen stairs (remember I am hating stairs by this stage) to have the obligatory photo opp. Tom refused to saying they were just stairs and dirty ones at that.


We caught the metro home only to have to wait for another train as the station was packed out. Eventually hopped on the next train which was also packed but still had a little bit of standing room unlike the last train that resembled sardines in a can. Once on I hung onto Tom.


We pulled up at the next station and about 8 teenagers pushed and shoved their way onto our carriage even though there was no room. We were all pushed and shoved and it got a little scary. The train tried to shut its door a number of times and theyvwouldn’t close, obvioulsy body parts were in the doorway, and you could hear the guards telling them to get off as the train couldn’t go. They kept pushing harder and I don’t know how but they managed to squeezed on. It was not safe at all. For 2 stations they yelled and laughed and pushed some more. It made me realise just how people can get crushed to death. These kids were being very unsafe and complete idiots without regard for anyone’s safety. Luckily we only had 2 stops to go.


When we got off Tom pushed his way out and I did an impressive elbow barge first right then left that any AFL player would be proud of, and disembarked in a wake of cries. I know it was wrong but damn it felt good!


When we got back to our hotel the unfortunate task of washing clothes were ahead of us. I now have a greater appreciation for my washing machine back home.


Dinner was magnum ice creams back in the hotel; we were too tired for anything else! (I can hear all our mum’s tut tutting from here.)


Once again we crashed, I don’t even think I felt my head touch my pillow.

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Part of trip: Living The Dream

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