Day 3 in Rome: The Pope! (and some other beautiful sights)

{Wednesday, May 28, 2014}

Today is the audience with the Pope!

Disclaimer: Obviously, this whole blog has always been my opinion, and my opinion only. What I experienced at the audience with the Pope is probably completely different than what others experienced. So don't take what I say into count if deciding to do the audience. Just do it and see for yourself :)

Dad and I woke up before the sun to get ready and get in line. Since Mom wasn't feeling well yesterday, we wanted her to sleep in today. So Zach and Mom would meet us a little later. Meanwhile, we would save seats (it's first come, first serve - even if you have the special VIP seats). We woke up at 5:30, got ready quickly (dressing appropriately - men must wear pants, women cannot show knees or shoulders), and headed over to the Vatican. This was one of those moments where I literally thought out loud during the walk: "Thank God we are only a few blocks away." I mean, there were people that had to take buses there. Ugh, that would have been WAY too early. We were told to get there by 6:30 to beat the buses of people that come from all over Italy...

The "line" we stood in to get into St. Peter's Basilica for the audience with the Pope. This was taken at 6:45am.

Whoops! We were FIVE minutes late. We got there at exactly 6:35am, and still stood in a huge line.

The line was overwhelming. It wasn't really a line, but more like a cluster of people that just crowd down the street, shoving each other until they feel they're as close as they can get to the security entrance.  I immediately felt claustrophobic.  Right behind Dad and I was a German couple that were literally inches behind us. The woman's purse was stabbing my back, the man was breathing down dad's neck. You could tell they were trying to get around us since we had left a little room right in front of us...to you know...breathe. But I looked at Dad and said in perfectly clear English in case they could understand it, "I am a linebacker this morning. No one is getting past me." I widened my stance, crossed my arms, and stood firm every time that German lady pushed into me a little bit more. A couple of times, I turned around to make eye contact with them to let them know that I KNEW what they were doing, but whenever I turned around, it was like their eyes magically turned into magnets that were drawn to the ground. Which told me, THEY KNEW that I KNEW.

Then, the gates opened a little after 7:30. And all of the sudden, our "line," didn't matter anymore. People were pushing forward with so much force that I really think I could have lifted up both of my feet, and the crowd would have just carried me with them. Dad was freaking out. He immediately shoved himself directly behind me and held onto my shoulders, staying with me and guiding me as best as he could. I had to look up at the sky every couple of minutes just to get some fresh air. Claustrophobia was completely setting in, and I remember thinking "If I die here, at least the Pope might be able to preside over my funeral."

After about 10 minutes of feeling like cattle, we were up at the security metal detectors, pushed through pretty quickly with big smiles by the Swiss Guard, and into the open air of the Square. It wasn't as crowded inside as it was outside just yet, but people were seriously RUNNING to get good seats.

It's funny...you'd think people would be shoving their way to the front of the seats, but no...the good seats are along the rails. The Pope rides through the crowds by the railings in the Pope mobile, so if you REALLY want to see the Pope, get there early to get a seat along the rail.

Dad and I quickly noticed that our separate VIP entrance was a little closer to the church, so we made our way through 2 Swiss Guard checkpoints, flashed our special red VIP tickets, and were on our way to sit closer than that rude German couple would be to the Pope. (I know, it's not very Christian to feel like "HA! Karma!" but after standing on my feet, in a smelly crowd for 1.5 hours, and then being physically pushed through a metal detector, I think God was just happy that I didn't flip out on someone.)

View of the stage from our seats. The Pope sits under the white "cover" to the right in the picture.

We really did get quite amazing seats. Dad and I grabbed 4 together along the rail, as close as we could get, sat down, and just took a deep breath. The past 2 hours were insanity. Dad was right when he said "There are people here that are taking away the spiritual and holy experience for me." And I quickly had to tell myself, and Dad, that you know what, this probably is only a tourist thing for some people. I guarantee, there were people there that were not Catholic, had no inclination of how important the Pope is in the Catholic religion, and were just pushing their way up front for a super cool view of an internationally-known person. And, good for them. I'm happy they chose to come experience this. But yet, here I was thinking that the audience with the Pope would be an intensely religious, holy, and spiritual endeavor, where everyone in attendance would be respectful, kind, and considerate of others. I was just really sad, annoyed, and disappointed to start with.

Once Mom and Zach joined us, it was only a matter of time before the Pope would arrive! And you could tell when he did, because all of the sudden, there were cameras out and pointed in the same direction, and cheers so loud, you couldn't hear yourself think.

I think the Pope has arrived...

And there he is!

After about 20 minutes of Pope Francis riding around in the Pope Mobile, he made his way up the little hill and to his seat where he addressed the crowd about his recent trip to the Middle East. He spoke of the need for peace, and how powerful prayer is in finding peace throughout the world.

You can find a full text of his message that we heard by clicking here.

Hearing him speak was wonderful (they had an English translator that spoke after he did). After his reflections on the readings from the day and his trip to the Middle East, he gave a blessing to all in attendance, and extended the blessing to all of our family members and friends whose intentions we held in our hearts. It really was beautiful. For a brief moment of his speech, I forgot about all the craziness of the morning, and just soaked it all in. And of course, I got a little teary eyed. :')

What was so beautiful, though, was seeing the Pope after the "audience" part, go down into the crowd where a group of physically and mentally disabled children were with their parents, and he took the time to go to each child, give them a blessing, and speak with their parents. He did this for about 30 minutes. We just watched, with great admiration, for the leader of our religious community, whose heart is so big and loving. Of course, Mom and I cried. Seeing the parents cry, so happy and feeling loved by the man with a direct line to God. How often those kids get over-looked. But not by Pope Francis. He gave them all of his attention, hugged and kissed them, and blessed them. I love that man, and am so proud he is our Pope, modeling what Jesus expects of us.

After it all was over, we were exhausted. We stopped for a quick bite to eat at a stand-up cafeteria, got back to the apartment, and took a much needed siesta! I love that the Italians take naps after lunch. Now that is my kind of lifestyle! :)

Once we napped for about 3 hours, we didn't want to waste any more of the day. So out we went, and more of Rome we saw!

We wandered down Via Cola di Rienzo (our street that we stayed on), crossed the Ponte Regina Margherita, and entered upon Piazza del Papolo. A beautiful circular area that was filled with restaurants and great people watching. We then headed south down Via del Corso, which is pretty touristy, as there A LOT of shops. Our first stop was the Trevi Fountain.

Story goes that you throw a coin into the fountain, over the back of your shoulder, and wish to return to Italy one day. Neptune (whose statue is standing over the great big fountain), God of the Sea, will grant your wish to return, and one day, you'll be back among the Romans.

My great-grandmother took a photo doing this, my grandfather took a photo doing this, my aunt took a photo doing this, and now, all four of us were going to take a photo as well. We live for these kinds of cheesy traditions in my family :)

Beautiful Trevi Fountain...and a bald dude's head. He just would not move.

We stayed a few minutes at the Fountain, then set out for the Spanish Steps at Piazza di Spagna. It was a pretty short walk through some back streets, where we saw some gorgeous buildings and little Roman alleys.

I must say, though, and I'm sure many people will disagree with me, but I don't get the big deal about the Spanish Steps. I mean, they're stairs. Sure, they're big, and kinda pretty, but I just climbed easily over 500 steps the other day to the top of the dome in St. Peter's, and then stood on my feet all morning this morning waiting for the Pope. My legs are tired, and the very last thing I want to see right now is more stairs to climb. Ugh.

But...here they are:

With Zach, about half-way up the steps. Note my super touristy look. Cardigan to cover the shoulders in churches, scarf because its way-European, camera around the neck, and cross-body purse to make it more difficult for thieves to steal it.

View from the top of the steps. Notice how Zach looks fabulous as he is mocking my camera pose.

At the top of the Spanish Steps, there is the church Trinita dei Monti. Unfortunately, the majority of it was being renovated and restored, so we didn't get to see much of it at all.  But once you get to the doors of the church, turn back around and you get this rooftop view of Rome:

Like I said, it's just stairs. Pretty views, good people watching, but other than that, it was probably my least favorite thing we did in Rome.  But once that was over, we walked back towards the apartment and stopped for dinner on the way. We just popped into a little Trattoria that none of us can remember the name of. Of course, the food and wine were delish :)

All four of our little touristy gang completely crashed that night, even though we had a siesta earlier, and couldn't wait to hit the ground running for our last fully day in Rome.

Ciao!

p.s. I love this picture of Zach and I strolling down the street after the Spanish Steps. It's pretty sweet that my bro is also my best friend. Loved seeing Italy with him :)

Day 2 in Rome: The Colosseum and so so so much more...

{Tuesday, May 27, 2014}

Buongiorno!

Today was such an early day, packed with a ton of amazing sight-seeing and touristy events. We woke up at what felt like the crack of dawn (8am - come on, it's vacation, and 8am is really early when you're on vaca time), got ready, packed up our maps and cameras, and were on our way to the bus stop! The bus transport in Rome is actually super easy to navigate and figure out, and a fairly reasonable price. So I'd strongly suggest to anyone going to Rome that if you can't walk to your next destination, take the bus.

Anyways, on we were to the Colosseum!!! The bus was packed and smelly, and we were clearly the tourists with the map out, but after a few stops, we realized we didn't need the map. Because you turn a corner and BAM! There is the Colosseum. Ginormous, old, and magnificent.

So much of what we saw in Italy was being renovated. So just ignore all the scaffolding in about 90% of my pics :)

Disclaimer: My major in college was Social Science, I am a history teacher. Today was a total history-nerdy day in Rome. So don't mind it if I get totally excited like a Justin Bieber fan-girl when I talk about these old historical sites. And don't let my history-nerdiness make you feel like it would be lame to see these places in real life. My mom and brother couldn't give two shits about history, but they loved everything we saw today and were blown away by it all. Okay, disclaimer over.

This was by far the coolest day ever. The Colosseum is amazing. So outstanding. It costs 12 euro for an admission ticket (which also gets you entry into the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill), and then we paid an additional 13 euro per ticket to have a tour guide for it all. (Seems pricey, but Rick Steves' said it was worth it to get a tour guide, and he was 100% right. The tour guides were amazing, so knowledgeable, and really made it all so much more awesome). So, another tip if you ever go to the Colosseum in Rome: GET A TOUR GUIDE! I can't even recall everything the tour guide told me, but I remember constantly saying "wow" every time he said something that had happened in the Colosseum or about how it was built.

As soon as you enter the Colosseum.

After the tour at the Colosseum, they gave us an hour to wander around for pictures and sight-seeing before part 2 of the tour - which was in the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.  Mom started to feel really sick and faint. I honestly think she was a little jet-lagged. So she and Dad went back to the apartment for a couple hours so she could rest. I felt horrible, but we paid for the tour, so Zach and I stayed.

We met our tour guide, Elaine, from the New Rome Free Tours. She was from Canada (our tour guide in the Colosseum was Italian and I didn't catch his name), so it was nice being able to completely understand her.

To be completely honest, even as a history teacher, I had no clue what would be in the Roman Forum, or what Palatine Hill was. (I teach U.S. History - not Italian History!)  But it ended up being so neat! And so beautiful. It is ruins of where Roman life was basically lived for hundreds of years from the 6th century B.C. until about the 7th century A.D. This is exactly where Rome was founded as a tribe, then an empire.

Zach taking in the views at Palatine Hill.

Palatine Hill ruins

Palatine Hill ruins

Zach and I really enjoyed the tour and took LOTS of pictures. Like I said, I felt horrible that Mom and Dad missed it, really really horrible...but at the same time, I kind of love having just sibling time. I'm a pretty lucky gal that I have a sibling I get along with so well.

Roman Forum ruins

Roman Forum ruins

Roman Forum ruins

After the tour, we wandered around the Forum for a little while before deciding to go find the Mouth of Truth. Zach's girlfriend gave him a cute list of fun things to do in Italy, and the Mouth of Truth was on the list. I also really wanted to do it since it was in the movie Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. I love me some oldies, and Roman Holiday is in my Top 10 list!

On our way, we saw the Capitol building and two temples to Roman Gods. Unexpected, and that's what I love about wandering the streets of Rome :)

The Capitol Building in Rome.

Temples of Vesta and Portunus that we randomly stumbled upon in Rome.

We finally stumbled upon Santa Maria in Cosmedin Church, which is where the Mouth of Truth is located (fun fact: the bones - supposedly - of St. Valentine are also in this church. I wish I knew that before getting there, because I could have prepared some prayers for my non-existent love life). The Mouth had a really long line, but it moved pretty fast, and soon enough we were putting our hands in the mouth, in hopes of them not getting bitten off!

We survived ;)

Zach and I then wandered north on the Tiber River, just taking in the sights, until realizing we were exhausted and just could not walk anymore.  With a little help, we figured out what bus to hop on that would get us closest to our apartment, and carefully counted the stops until we hopped off.

Seen during our walk back from the Mouth of Truth

The Ministry of Justice, right when we got off the bus on our way back to the apartment. Why is every building so grand and ornate in Rome? I love it.

When we got back to the apartment, Mom was resting and Dad was doing laundry. Mom still felt weak, so after a short break off our feet, we headed back out for some wandering with Dad. We had to pick up our tickets for the audience with the pope for the next day, so first and foremost, we were on a mission to find that building.

After getting a tad lost, we found the North American Seminarian College, where we picked up our tickets. I don't know how it happened, but we got VIP tickets! Our tickets allowed us to sit right up next to the stage where Pope Francis is seated. We were pumped!!

After thanking the super nice priests- and nuns-in-training, we set out for the Pantheon. It wasn't very far away, and you knew you were at the right place the second you turned the corner and looked up. It is SO TALL. It's free to get in, but it is really crowded. We managed to get a few good pictures though...

The back of the Pantheon...I think we found it!

Fun Fact: Raphael (painter, sculpter, future Ninja-Turtle...) is buried in the Pantheon. Pretty neat to see.

Later, we went back to the apartment to get Mom and go to dinner with Father Thomas Montanaro, a priest we were referred to by my Aunt Diane for any/all help with touring the Vatican. We met him at La Soffitta in Piazza del Risorgimento, just a block away from the Vatican Walls. It was DELICIOUS. I wish we got pictures of the food we ate. They made a special pizza just for our table, brought us some of the best wine I've ever tasted in my life, and then we had free pick from the dessert cart. I'm pretty sure they gave us special treatment since we were sitting with a priest, and you'll never ever hear me complain about that :)

So, to sum up this whole day: if you ever get to travel to Rome, definitely make time for the Colosseum/Roman Forum/Palatine Hill and hire a guide, and eat at La Soffitta!!!

Tomorrow...we see the Pope!

Ciao!

Day 1 in Rome: St. Peter's and Climbing the Dome

{Monday, May 26, 2014}

And we're here! After a 7 hour flight and a lot of lines, we have arrived in Rome! Traveling to Italy has been a dream of my family's for as long as I can remember. We are mostly Italian, with both of my grandfathers being 100%.

Before I start recounting all the wonders (and horrors - yes, horrors) of Italy: cancer sucks, really, really sucks, but it has given our family a whole new outlook on life. You can always say "oh there will always be next year," "I'll do it another time," etc...but the reality is, there might not be a "tomorrow," or "another time," so during Mom's treatments for breast cancer, we started planning our dream vacation. First, it was just going to be my parents going on a dream vacation, but my brother and I quickly stepped in and basically demanded that we go with. So off we go! :)

And here we are! Our flight left from Philadelphia (I'll write about our layover day in Philly another time) left at 6:30pm on Sunday night, and arrived in Italy at 9:00am on Monday. Thank god for movies on the iPad and neck pillows.

Constantly checked the screen to see where we were. SO excited when we saw the little airplane hovering over ROME!

The airport was surprisingly easy to navigate, but very crowded. Once we found the shuttle, we loaded up and anxiously looked out the windows as the bus zig-zagged through Rome to our rented apartment! The bus actually let us off about 8 blocks from our apartment, and many of the sidewalks were cobblestone, so I was glad I packed in a small carry-on and purse.

When we found the apartment, we were met by Paolo, the son-in-law of the woman who owns the apartment we rented from airbnb.com. Paolo spoke very good English and showed us around the apartment - 1 bed, 1 bath, kitchen, and living room. They even had set out some wine and home-baked cakes to welcome us! Our apartment was on the 2nd floor (which really is the 3rd floor in Italy), and overlooked the corner of Via Cola di Rienzo and Via Virgilio, a short 7 blocks from the Vatican.

The view looking right from our rental flat. Lots of fun people watching from this window :)

We unpacked some things quickly, then immediately headed out to see Rome!

As we walked down the street to the Vatican, I couldn't help but notice two things (not sights):

     1. The street vendors - they are EVERY WHERE. And so annoying. They just line up right down the middle of the sidewalk with their crappy junk to sell (keychains, sunglasses, totally fake designer purses, etc) which I'm pretty sure they stole off the back of a truck.

     2. The smells. One second you're walking past an open restaurant, getting heavenly aromas of their sauces, breads, and pastries, and the next second you pass an alley that smells like garbage and piss. THEN you pass some European tourists that clearly don't shower everyday, nor use deodorant. Ugh, the smells drive me wild - in a good AND bad way.

Once we made it to the Vatican, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was so grand and gorgeous. Walking into the square just made me stop, stare, and cry. Yes, I cried. I was in awe at its beauty. You see pictures, and imagine how beautiful it is, but nothing can prepare you for actually seeing it in person.

The first view we had upon walking through the columns and seeing the Vatican.

The pictures just do not do it justice.

We had some time to kill before our free tour at 2:15, so we wandered, took some pictures, and checked out a free museum at the Vatican that had all different old versions of the bible, gospels, and other religious writings. It was pretty cool to see some stuff that dated back to the 4th century B.C. Just crazy old.

We spent a couple of minutes in the Vatican gift shop and then met our tour group. Our guide was a seminarian from the North American Seminary College in Rome, Dan. He was a great tour guide! He walked us around the outside, explained some of the statues and the spire, then we went inside the church.

One of the 5 sets of doors to walk into St. Peter's Church. 

As soon as you walk in St. Peter's Church, your jaw drops. And tears fall. No words can describe how epic-ly beautiful it is.The paintings, the statues, the decor, gold, marble... It is beyond grand. The tour was about 2 hours and ended with us in adoration. More tears fell as I sat in front of our Lord, in his most holy of all churches.

Standing at the back of the church, just as you walk in the doors.

Pope John Paul II's tomb in the church.

Michaelangelo's Pieta

After adoration, we went underneath the church to the crypt, where the past popes are buried. How chilling. It is so worth it to take an extra few minutes to check it out if you ever go.

THEN...we went UP. Up...up...up...up through an elevator lift, then 300 more steps spiraling around the dome of the church. Your legs will be cursing you through it all, and you might feel just a tad claustrophobic, but as soon as you reach the very top, step out the door onto the viewpoint, and take in that fresh Rome air, you realize that the incredibly challenging climb you just did was SO WORTH IT.  360 degree view of Rome - so beautiful.

Lots of views from the top - but this one was the best :)

And then...we climbed to the bottom. Our legs were dead, but like I said, it was so worth it. No regrets. Please, please, do this if you ever get to go to Rome.

We bought some rosaries and postcards at the gift shop, then headed back towards the apartment for dinner. We stopped at a place called Caffetteria dei Gracchi on Via dei Gracchi, and I think all of us would agree it was one of the best meals we had during our whole 2 weeks in Rome. We all got different pasta dishes, and they all were to die for. We ordered a bottle of their house red, and it was amazing. But the thing that I could die over, was their tiramisu. It was completely different than any of the tiramisu I've had in America. It was served in a pudding/custard-type way, and had a frozen coffee cake in the center. If I had room in my stomach for more, I would have ordered a second.

FOOD. !!

After dinner, we headed back to the apartment, struggled figuring out how the shower, washing machine, and air conditioning worked, and then crashed. Exhaustion had finally set in, and we all slept like babies. Tomorrow, more Roman adventures! :)

Ciao!