May 26, 2012
When we awoke on our drive from the ship it felt like we had fallen down the rabbit’s hole in Alice in Wonderland. The car hit a bump and jolted me awake and the first sight to fill my eyes was the wall of Vatican City. During our 40 minute nap we had traversed the distance between Civitavecchia and Rome and were only minutes away from our hotel. But to transition from the view of ship and docks to the walls of this city-state in the midst of Rome was startling. In front of us lay the Tiber (Tevere) River, and less than a half a dozen blocks later we had turned up a small alley to find our hotel. The sign directed us down an even smaller alley to find Hotel La Rovere, but it was too small for our car to fit. So we bid our driver adieu and dragged our bags around the corner into this new adventure, a veritable wonderland. The hotel itself was charming and the proprietors spoke just enough English to make communication possible. This hotel had been recommended by my friend, Giorgia, was definitely off the beaten path and not part of a typical American hotel chain. Our room was a corner room on the fourth floor and the views were inspiring. On one side we looked out over the Tiber and the rooftops of Rome in front of us, with at least two churches neatly framed nearby. Out the other window was a small courtyard shared by the apartment buildings around us. Although there was no air conditioning, the cross breeze from opening the windows was marvelous although we sometimes wondered from our vantage point if we might end up with a bird as a houseguest.
As much as we enjoyed the room, we wanted to explore, and we ventured off back in the direction of the Vatican. In seven minutes we were standing in St. Peter’s Square. It was late afternoon on a Friday and the famous landmark was blessedly empty. We hoped to visit the Basilica, but Rosie’s skirt was just above her knees which barred access to the church. Saving that experience for another day, we sat and people-watched in the square for a bit and then found a nearby café for dinner. We continued our pattern of only eating al fresco and watched the flow of clergy and sisters pass to and fro not unexpected with our proximity to St. Peter’s.
The next day we dove more deeply into sightseeing. The hotel provided a wonderful complementary breakfast and properly fortified we headed back to St. Peter’s. When we arrived we saw that some official function was taking place on the stage set up in front of the Basilica. Since it was the Saturday before Pentecost, representatives of the Italian government were reading proclamations honoring the Roman Catholic Church on this feast of the Church’s founding. We watched for awhile but when we realized the presiding Cardinal was even looking bored we decided to explore the streets behind the Square. After a nice walk we returned to the Square to the sound of cheering and singing. Focusing on the big screens that display in detail all that is going on at St. Peter’s we saw that Pope Benedict XVI was blessing the crowd as he toured about in the Popemobile. We found a corner of the crowd closest to the barriers and I instantly recognized that where the Pope was shown as currently traveling would take him right in front of us in a matter of seconds. As I raised my camera the pope came into view less than 5 meters away. I accepted his blessing my snapping a photo, quickly making the sign of the cross after I had captured the moment for posterity. Excited by our good fortune we enjoyed the moment over another fine Italian meal and then continued playing tourist.
That afternoon included trips to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, both which are so jam-packed with things to see that it is simply overwhelming, and then a general tour on the Roman Open Air Bus to get the lay of the land. Just before we returned to the hotel we were able to make our way into St. Peter’s Basilica before it closed. We then headed back to the hotel only to be baptized by a gentle spring shower. We enjoyed the cooling effects of the afternoon rain until one block from the hotel the skies opened up in a far less gentle manner. We ran the remaining 50 meters but not before we were quite wet. However, our plan was to cross the river that evening to eat at one of the bistros in a nice little district across the Tevere. So, after a warm shower to take away the chill, we dressed in our finest threads, not wanting to be an embarrassment to our country while visiting this capital of fashion and with an umbrella for cover walked the wet streets of Rome. We found another lovely outdoor restaurant which had just enough umbrellas covering the tables so that we could enjoy the food and the street scene on this Saturday night in Roma.
Our last day in Rome would be the next and our plan was to re-board the Open Air Bus to tour more of the local attractions, far too many to count, before we headed back for the States the following evening.
And the adventure continues . . .
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