The Centre of Christendom

Today marked our farewell to Florence and our hello to Rome. We took a relatively early train ride and this time we were able to get first class tickets for only €4 per person extra. This was a nice touch, with wider, reclining seats and a drink included. After getting a direct comparison between second and first classes, I'd say first is worth maybe an extra €10 per person, so a very worthwhile upgrade for us. We arrived in Rome and dropped our bags off at our hotel, Roman Residence, near the train station.


A brief pause and a map markup from the friendly hotel owner, Massimo, and we were on our way to our destination for the day: Vatican City. After being able to walk everywhere in Florence and almost everywhere in Venice (we only rode the vaporetto 4 times and one was for an audio tour) it was a bit unsatisfying to have to ride Rome's dingy Metro. Nevertheless, it got us there. With only twenty minutes to go before our reservation at the Vatican Museum, we grabbed a marginal bite to eat at a stand near the metro and made our way in.

The museum was a set of seemingly never ending corridors designed solely to show off the immense papal wealth. One amazing statue after another, one brilliant fresco after another, all leading up to the "single greatest piece of art by one man", the Sistine Chapel. The level of detail and presentation of the Bible by Michelangelo was awe-inspiring, and also neck pain inducing. It took a half hour to listen to Rick Steves' audio guide of the room, which seemed to only scratch the surface of the work. You are not supposed to take pictures in the chapel, but once again, we were rebels (see right).

After sneaking through the "guided tours only" shortcut to Saint Peter's Basilica we took in the church. An immense building, we explored the various sections, but there happened to be a mass going on so disappointingly we were unable to approach the altar or view the place where Peter was crucified. This didn't stop us from getting a good view of the altar however, which you can see on the left. Note the section in front of the altar which is slightly off center to the right. This marks Saint Peter's tomb. The church was designed to be centered about the tomb but archaeologists later discovered that the tomb was slightly to the right, giving the configuration seen in the photo. While it was disappointing not to be able to get further forward in the room, the sounds and music of the mass were a delight to see and hear, almost making up for the disappointment.


Yesterday the climb up the Campanile in Florence almost destroyed our legs, but today we decided we were in for more. After leaving the Basilica we decided to climb its' dome. After an elevator to the roof, the twisting and turning (and thankfully one-way) stairs led us to breathtaking views of the Vatican and Rome. One such view can be seen below.

Back on solid ground, we headed out to the square (pictured above from the dome). On our way there we saw a Swiss guard (on the left below). One passerby tourist didn't believe me when she asked if it was a real person, and I responded yes. After taking in the square for a while, Sarah got a requisite silly picture of me drinking out of a water fountain near the obelisk (on the right below).

Some more wandering around the square and we hopped on the metro to Piazza del Popolo, where we took part in the Italian afternoon stroll, or passagiatta, down the shopping street of Via del Corso, to the Spanish Steps, where we took a quick break. While we were sitting and discussing nearby dinner options, a newlywed couple took to the stairs for pictures and cheers from the crowd. Afterwards , the bride even tossed away her bouquet. Beautiful and moving, showing some of the essence of the Italians.

Our final stop of the evening was for dinner at Ristorante il Gabriello near the Spanish Steps. Gabriello is the chef; his brother, Claudio, runs the front of the house, and Claudio's wife has a farm which provides organic products to the restaurant. We each had a different variation of spaghetti, and I enjoyed the house red. Finally, for dessert Sarah had a crepe which she raved about. Another fantastic dinner, which we were once again directed to by our good friend Rick. A quick metro ride home, and it was off to rest up for our day tomorrow in Ancient Rome.