I actually wrote this post weeks ago in Text Edit but never posted it because I couldn't get through the photo editing process and find some time to post.
Every Wednesday the Papa gives a speech in front of Saint Peter's, so Ann is of the informed opinion, which I would agree to if I had any other experience, that this is the best day to go to the Vatican Museum to see it's wonderful paintings and sculptures, plus the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's itself because if you get there while everyone is trying to go listen to the pope, they're not trying to get into the museum. Considering the wait was less than 20 minutes, it seems very plausible to me.
After our breakfast we met at the Piazza Navona at 8:30 and hiked across Ponte Sant'Angelo towards the Castel Sant'Angelo, which is also some old dead (Hadrian) guy's tomb. We walked down what Ann considers a tragedy of Architecture, the Via della Conciliazione which was put in around WWII or so by some bad Italians who wanted to have impressive military parades... or something like that. It was early. She also pointed out a religious shop that had many different sorts of rosaries and would, for free, send them to the vatican to be blessed (en masse) by the pope and then returned to your hotel the next day.
Every Wednesday the Papa gives a speech in front of Saint Peter's, so Ann is of the informed opinion, which I would agree to if I had any other experience, that this is the best day to go to the Vatican Museum to see it's wonderful paintings and sculptures, plus the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's itself because if you get there while everyone is trying to go listen to the pope, they're not trying to get into the museum. Considering the wait was less than 20 minutes, it seems very plausible to me.
After our breakfast we met at the Piazza Navona at 8:30 and hiked across Ponte Sant'Angelo towards the Castel Sant'Angelo, which is also some old dead (Hadrian) guy's tomb. We walked down what Ann considers a tragedy of Architecture, the Via della Conciliazione which was put in around WWII or so by some bad Italians who wanted to have impressive military parades... or something like that. It was early. She also pointed out a religious shop that had many different sorts of rosaries and would, for free, send them to the vatican to be blessed (en masse) by the pope and then returned to your hotel the next day.
While walking around the Piazza San Pietro we stopped to recollect as some of our number had headed for the head and, while waiting, I snapped this shot of a very happy cardinal. He was flanked by a couple of priests of some level or other but the bright red beanie was what caught my eye. Too bad it didn't have a propeller. We achieved our quick entry into the Vatican Museum... what I honestly think was our first museum since this trip started... although I suppose the Spedale in Siena was a sort of museum.
My only goal today was to find one of the Swiss guard in their beautiful costumes designed in the 1500s or so by Michelangelo himself and take a photo of them with a secondary goal of buying a rosary and having it blessed by the pope for my grandmother. Someone pointed out this guy, who I'm guessing is some sort of trainee Swiss guard guy because this outfit is not modern at all but it's also not their usual full uniform. I worried when I saw him that they might have a different uniform to wear in the summer but I was happy to find later that this was not the case. Sorry the photo's really bleached but it's the only one I shot and I had the exposure setting up a bit high and I'm too lazy to mess with it much in Photoshop.
There's way too much to see in this museum to really talk about it here and the photos I got weren't great, though I did get some nice shots in a few, better lit sections of it, including in the Sistine Chapel itself, which I have to admit was nice but a touch underwhelming. Somehow I'd decided that it was a much bigger ceiling than it actually is (or at least than it appears, as...), and it's directly overhead, it's really, really high up, and the room it's in is packed with people who won't shut up. The guards are constantly telling people to not take photos... (yes, I ignored them but I did it rather stealthily, if I do say so myself, so they were never yelling at me), and to be quiet, and I was trying to listen to Ann's podcast about the room and having trouble figuring out what was what, as I had neglected to put my field trip packet in my bag that morning. So... not the best experience. Here's one of my contraband shots.
There's way too much to see in this museum to really talk about it here and the photos I got weren't great, though I did get some nice shots in a few, better lit sections of it, including in the Sistine Chapel itself, which I have to admit was nice but a touch underwhelming. Somehow I'd decided that it was a much bigger ceiling than it actually is (or at least than it appears, as...), and it's directly overhead, it's really, really high up, and the room it's in is packed with people who won't shut up. The guards are constantly telling people to not take photos... (yes, I ignored them but I did it rather stealthily, if I do say so myself, so they were never yelling at me), and to be quiet, and I was trying to listen to Ann's podcast about the room and having trouble figuring out what was what, as I had neglected to put my field trip packet in my bag that morning. So... not the best experience. Here's one of my contraband shots.
After that we snuck out the group entrance, which gets you directly from the Sistine Chapel into St. Peter's without having to wait in another (2-3 hour) line. I strongly suggest anyone who visits confidently strolls out this exit if they can at all manage it... preferably in the midst of a group of tourists to avoid being blocked by guard peoples.
The last "official" stop that day was to the Basilica itself. I will say this... as small as the Sistine Chapel seemed, St. Peter's was HUGE. There were tons of smaller chapels, a huge center aisle, and amazing art in the form of paintings, frescos, and statues including the beautiful Pieta. On our way out, we saw a pair of brides entering with their new spouses and it seemed quite sweet and maybe a bit movie-ish.
The last "official" stop that day was to the Basilica itself. I will say this... as small as the Sistine Chapel seemed, St. Peter's was HUGE. There were tons of smaller chapels, a huge center aisle, and amazing art in the form of paintings, frescos, and statues including the beautiful Pieta. On our way out, we saw a pair of brides entering with their new spouses and it seemed quite sweet and maybe a bit movie-ish.
As we were walking out of the basilica I saw not just one of the Swiss guards but THREE! I would have attempted to get some better shots than these but silly people kept asking them questions like how to get somewhere or something like that and they were getting in the way of my shots and the other students I was with wanted to go buy rosaries and eat lunch. Silly people... wanting food... it was only almost three. Ok... I suppose I was hungry, too... I'm not sure that "hungry" is a strong enough word for what I was currently feeling, actually. Oh well. I found them, and I took photos and I'm happy now. Then, I went and found a rosary for my grandmother, gave it to be blessed and hoped it would appear at the hotel the next day.
Then we went and ate. We were headed back to the hotel and just stopped when we found a place that had enough room for the eleven of us who were still in a group. I think I had ravioli in a rose sauce. It wasn't bad, wasn't awesome. I think the restaurant has two menus depending on whether you're Italian or a tourist. I'm informed that this is not an uncommon practice.
Back to the hotel to rest a bit... my photos stop after St. Peter's, so I can't say for sure what I did but after whatever I did (which may have been something as sacrilegious as watching TV), I decided I'd had enough Italian food and went in search of the mythical kebab shop near the Campo di Fiori. I needed some cash too and unfortunately, found the food (after running into some cohorts who set me on the right track) before I found the bankomat but I found the latter and headed back to the former and bought a doner sandwich, two dolmas, and some rice pudding (to go). Then, stopping at a nice-looking bakery, I grabbed six amaretti, wonderful little almond cookies that were crisp on the outside but soft and buttery on the inside, and a gelato which I think was mint and dark chocolate but I'm not sure and I didn't have my camera on me. Then I went back to the hotel, eating the gelato, got up to my room and gave a cookie to my ailing roommate, and sat down to watch TV while eating my dinner. Mom, it wasn't Anatolia, but it wasn't horrid... well, the rice pudding wasn't great, really but... anyway. That was the end of day three in Rome.
Then we went and ate. We were headed back to the hotel and just stopped when we found a place that had enough room for the eleven of us who were still in a group. I think I had ravioli in a rose sauce. It wasn't bad, wasn't awesome. I think the restaurant has two menus depending on whether you're Italian or a tourist. I'm informed that this is not an uncommon practice.
Back to the hotel to rest a bit... my photos stop after St. Peter's, so I can't say for sure what I did but after whatever I did (which may have been something as sacrilegious as watching TV), I decided I'd had enough Italian food and went in search of the mythical kebab shop near the Campo di Fiori. I needed some cash too and unfortunately, found the food (after running into some cohorts who set me on the right track) before I found the bankomat but I found the latter and headed back to the former and bought a doner sandwich, two dolmas, and some rice pudding (to go). Then, stopping at a nice-looking bakery, I grabbed six amaretti, wonderful little almond cookies that were crisp on the outside but soft and buttery on the inside, and a gelato which I think was mint and dark chocolate but I'm not sure and I didn't have my camera on me. Then I went back to the hotel, eating the gelato, got up to my room and gave a cookie to my ailing roommate, and sat down to watch TV while eating my dinner. Mom, it wasn't Anatolia, but it wasn't horrid... well, the rice pudding wasn't great, really but... anyway. That was the end of day three in Rome.
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