Rome and the Vatican

Saturday: Day 2

I realized when I went to bed last night that I forgot an alarm clock. Luckily, the old ladies I was sharing my hostel room with get up nice an early. Recharged and ready to look for the Spanish Steps again, I head out. Again, I get lost almost immediately. This time, though, I’d had some rest and really start to appreciate the beauty of the Roman streets. Everything is just so old. The buildings are largely plaster but they’re different colors, which were probably once bright but are now very faded. There are lots of cute little iron balconies with flowers, and the intricate molding over the windows and doors are beautiful. I took so many pictures of the streets I worried my battery might die before I got to an actual destination.

After walking along the southern edge of Villa Borghese and finding the Piazza Trinita dei Monti I again missed the Steps, and instead ended up at Piazza del Popolo. It’s a very large square with the northern gate of the ancient city wall on one edge, fountains on opposing ends, and a large Egyptian obelisk in the center. I have to say, of all the Roman sights it was the least impressive. It was obviously a tourist stop, with busses going by every few minutes and those people dressed up like statues that move when you give them money (including a blue statue of liberty??). I stopped and had a cappuccino and croissant at a café on one of the edges so I could plan my next move. 

I decided to stop wasting time looking for the steps and took a metro to Vatican City, where I had a reservation to visit the museum. I spent about two hours inside, assisted by an audio guide and all the English tours I was able to overhear. There’s an incredible wealth of art of all kinds, including works by some of Italy’s most famous artisans. I went through the Sistine Chapel on the tour, and it was overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. Overwhelming because there were SO MANY PEOPLE smooshed in one room, everyone talking and taking pictures even though they weren’t supposed to, etc. and underwhelming because the painting and carvings around the ceiling were beautiful, but there were just so many I didn’t know how to process it. Plus the ceiling is really freakin high, so it’s kind of hard to see everything. Also I didn’t know much about the chapel before I went, so I don’t think I was fully able to appreciate it as I stood there. 

 

After the museum I grabbed a sandwich (prosciutto and cheese) from a street vendor before moving on to St. Peter’s Square and the Basilica. I had overheard a guard tell another tourist to just follow the wall to the left and it would be just a few minutes walk. So, off to the left I went. After about 10 minutes of walking, I thought I may have gone the wrong way – but I was walking along the wall, how lost could I be?! So I kept going. After the sidewalk stopped I got a little frustrated. How do I get lost walking from one thing to another when they’re right next to each other?! 

Anyway, about 20 minutes later I had walked around the entire perimeter of the Vatican and finally made it to St. Peter’s Square. It was really, really huge. Luckily it was getting pretty late so I didn’t have to wait too long to get into the Basilica, and DAMN. I walked in and my mouth fell, releasing a mix between “wow” and a gasp. It’s huge. It’s ornate. It’s gold. It was honestly so overwhelming I didn’t even know where to look, where to start. Luckily I had an audio guide so I didn’t stand dumbfounded in the doorway for too long. 

 

While inside I had an ongoing debate with myself; I couldn’t decide what to think. I went back and forth between awe and amazement at how beautiful everything was, and total disgust that the church would maintain such a place. There is so much poverty and suffering, how could the church claim to care while holding on to something so beautiful? It helped that they didn’t charge an admission fee – if they had I probably would have been infuriated. I ended up resolving my debate by thinking that the building was a historical monument and a cultural icon, and that it offers something to society so the church can’t just disassemble, but it still makes me mad. 

I couldn’t go to the crypts (I was 10 minutes to late) or to the top of the dome (it was too full), so I left. I stumbled upon a street market and got some gifts, before taking the metro. I decided to take it to the Steps, so I couldn’t miss them no matter what. Of course, when I got there I saw that it was just a huge staircase, but it was cool to see it myself. There were lots of people sitting there, meeting with friends and just hanging out. I didn’t stay long because I was starving, so I wandered off and found a restaurant with outside seating on a tiny dead-end street. I had a pizza (yes, a whole pizza) and some wine, both of which were fresh and delicious. Full and buzzed, I meandered back to my hostel, enjoying the sights and sounds of Rome at night.