When in Rome..... visit the Vatican

When in Rome

Do as the Romans!

After a thunder storm last night, the morning was a bit foggy with the dampness, until the sun burnt it off.

An early morning shower in the wash-block for me was an interesting experience.  Classical Italian music gets piped through into the washroom!  
As I showered, the piano music cascaded, rising and falling in grand crescendos and accelerandos.  
As I went to do a No 2, the mood mysteriously changed and became more sombre.  Timpani rolled, cannons boomed, a bit like the 1812 overture.  I should pause to add that the loo seat is not like the fashion in the UK, where the seat has a slow-close damping device.  These loo seats, do the opposite!  They spring UP, when you rise!  And spray disinfectant as they rise!  You have to be quick!
When I got to shaving and putting my lenses in, the music became more tranquil again, like a pastoral symphony..  

Strange, I know.  But I swear it’s true!

Trains are a bit grubby.

A good breakfast and then we were off to Rome at about 9.30 am.

A quick stop in the 24-hour supermarket across the road for a couple of rolls, and a banana, and then a two minute walk to the station Due Ponte.  
What could be easier, hear you ask?

There is one good thing about Italy, you pay 1.5 Euros for a ticket which allows you to travel for 100 minutes on buses, trains, boats, or wherever.  It starts the moment you validate your ticket.

Getting tickets can be a strange experience at times!  It's easier to find a Ford Transit selling tickets, than to get them in the station!

station ticket office closed!

So for 1.5 Euros each we got from our campsite on a train, then on a tube train to the Vatican area.  All for 1.5 Euros.  Not bad eh?  Everything else in Italy seems pricey.

But,...... back to our journey into the Eternal City, Rome.

We left at 9.30 am, picked up a couple of rolls, and waited for the train.

It was due to arrive at 9.45 am.  
Just a couple of minutes.  
Good timing.  
An announcement in English confirmed our suspicions.
But the 9.45 slot came and went, and it was 9.55 by the time a train arrived.
We boarded.

I think that when I was born, and God was dishing out brains, I thought He said "trains", and got on the wrong one!  
The journey was easy.  
Easy, because we were going the wrong way.  I didn’t realise until we stopped at a station, and didn’t move for at least 10 minutes.  Another train pulled up at an adjacent platform (2), and people transferred to it.

Oh dear!  Drat and bother!  

I asked someone who just got on if this train was going to Rome.  He said “No” and pointed to the train people had just boarded.

We quickly exited the carriage, and nipped to platform 2.  
It was a close thing, that.

I nearly left Ruth on the wrong train!

This now meant that we had a longer train journey than previously.  About twice the distance!!
We were heading to the station called Rome Flaminio.  This was all rather confusing, as the campsite we are staying on is called Camping Flaminio.  
I think this caused my confusion.  
I can’t blame Ruth for this one!  My mistake.

St Peter's square, Vatican.

Once in the centre of Rome we had to find the tube station and take a couple of stops to get to the Vatican.  

A coffee in McDonalds to check our bearings, and use the loo.  (I think we use McD’s about once a day on average, while on holiday)!  Handy place.

By this time it was 11.30 am, and we hadn’t even seen anything more than the inside of the underground tube walls.

Vatican guards

The Vatican was easy enough to find, apart from the annoying "chancers" who try to help you jump the queues by offering special tickets, and they help you dodge the queue.  
A horrible practice!  And a horrible price you have to pay for their scam.  Use the official websites, and avoid these muppets.

St Peter’s Square was just Wow!  One can’t help being impressed.  That’s where the Pope comes out and blesses all the people!

We had a short stroll around, and then joined the queue for the Basilica.  The queue snaked halfway round the square (which is actually round).

45 minutes later we were through the airport-style security and in the Basilica.

Another “wow” moment!

Inside the basilica was awesomely grand.

The confessional boxes inside were for whom?  I couldn't help wonder who does the Pope confess to?

Outside there are beggars lying prostrate on the ground.  
Inside you have this incredible splendour.

Some folks felt the need to touch the feet of Jesus, of one of the Apostles.

I was more interested in the way that the PA speakers blended in with the decor!

PA speakers blend in well.

We went down into the crypt and saw the tombs of previous popes.  

There were some upstairs too.  
One of them looked like Father Christmas from where I was standing!

Just to round off our tour of the Basilica, I thought you would like this picture of a previous pope with a seagull on his head.

Add caption

From there we went to the Sistine Chapel.  

This was the place that the scam tour guides want to help you jump the queue.  
It was now about 2 pm, and there was no queue whatsoever!  
Nothing to write home about the queue, - (so I won’t write home about it).

There always seems to be one statue, whose eyes follow you wherever you are standing!

We paid our 14 Euros each for the place and then were herded like cattle, along richly adorned galleries, with statues, and painted ceilings.  

Eventually we arrived at the Chapel.  

No cameras, no hats, no talking, no eating, no selfie-sticks.  Complete prohibition.

As with many things Italian, the rules seem to be there, only to be broken.

We were shoved into the chapel in a most indelicate manner.  
People were chattering away, until a voice bellowed out “NO TALKING!  ABSOLUTE SILENCE”.  
I felt like I was back at school and being reprimanded in school assembly by an irate, bullying headmaster! There 500 or so  people who were corralled into the chapel.  It was claustrophobic.

As a tourist experience it was unpleasant and BAD.  The grandeur and splendour of it was beyond wonderful.  The “tourist experience” was dire.  I couldn’t wait to get out.

We walked across a bridge to catch our pre-booked Hop On, Hop Off bus.

Ah Buskers!  
Great!  
I love it.

This guy was giving it large, sitting on his Roland Cube, playing Hotel California (the Eagles).

He was soon done with Hotel California, and joined by Jesus, who strolled up, plugged his guitar into his Roland Cube, linked the two Cubes together, - and together they launched into Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton).  
Good music from these guys filled the air. 

Ruth chucked them a shekel.

Jesus on the Right, as they play Wonderful Tonight.

We did the rest of the day on the Hop On Hop Off bus, passing by the Colosseum.

More about the Colosseum tomorrow.