Saturday 4/10/10
On this day we trained back to Rome in the morning just to have a bit of time to chill before we flew home. I thought our paid room 3/31-4/2 was nice…yes, it was & the view was spectacular over the Porta Princiana toward the Borghese Gardens . BUT, the room 4/10 & 11 was better…on points. I suppose Marriott might have given us a ‘lesser’ room since it wasn’t paid but I have to say the room was so charming & way more comfy than the previous room. It was big & bright with 2 large windows overlooking the street. The bathroom was enormous. I wish I’d taken pictures. Once we were settled in we went to Santa Maria di Maggiore on Tom’s strong suggestion. Oh my goodness…such a beautiful church. It was the former papal congregation before the move to The Vatican. I thought we’d seen many beautiful churches already but this one was even grander. Bernini, that amazing sculptor is buried there. In a niche under the altar there is housed the Sacra Culla containing boards ostensibly from Jesus’ cradle. A sculpture of Pope Pius X kneeling in front of the niche is quite moving. After touring the church we took a walk to the Piazza del Umberto Emmanuel, then went back to the hotel area, grabbed some sandwiches & had a picnic is the Borghese Gardens. It was a beautiful sunny day so lots of people were out & about. Lots & lots of families with little kids. They were fun to watch. We went back to the hotel & caught up on emails, work, downloading photos, that sort of thing. Sleep came easily.
Sunday 4/11/10
We got up good & early to get to Saint Peter’s Basilica before the hoards descended. Good thing, too. We took the stairs up to the dome first thing. Wow, what a view! Seeing the gardens from above was especially delightful. We toured the basilica with a sense of amazement. The sculptures, architecture, marble columns, mosaics, everything was absolutely gorgeous. It was inspiring to see the works of mere mortals surrounding us. There were several dead popes in glass cases which was kind of creepy but interesting. We witnessed the pomp of Mass with the processions, incense, music, the whole nine yards. It’s quite a production. Of course The Pieta is there also. Now, that is breathtaking. Both of us were drawn in by the beauty, grace & expressiveness of the faces. We took pictures but they can’t in any way capture the sense of the sculpture. You have to see it in real life. We just stood there staring at it for a long time. Our visit to St. Peter’s took most of the day & that’s all the touring we did. It was a wonderful ending to our Italian holiday. For dinner we went back to our favorite café, San Marco. We’ll always remember that lovely place.
We spent the rest of the evening packing, organizing photos, talking, Steve did a little work.
Overall, we agree that the trip was a resounding success. There were a few sights we missed but feel satisfied that we saw most of the ‘must-sees’ in the 3 cities we visited. We’d definitely recommend taking the First Class train & be ready to make a run for it when it arrives at the station as they don’t tarry there long. And if you miss your train, you’re SOL. Beware of gypsies who offer to help you with your luggage. Most Italians are helpful but not very patient. (maybe it was just us) Italian men will sooner help a woman than a man, so guys, take a girl with you! At least try the espresso. You’ll be made fun of for ordering Americano coffee…good natured ribbing, of course. But, Italians don’t really understand how we can drink that ‘black water’! Enjoy as much real Italian food as you can. And definitely eat gelato at every opportunity. Traveling to outlying small towns is a lot of fun. Next time we’ll do more. Also, you MUST see Herculaneum & Pompeii. It’s worth the time & hassle of using the Circumvesuviana. If I think of anything else, I’ll be back to add it. Now, it’s on to the next journey…
