Rome day 3

Today we find that showers are on the radar AGAIN.  Hoping it will be like yesterday.  i.e. brief patches of rain only.  Off we head to Termini and onto Metro line A.  We exit at the Ottaviano San Pietro stop and head towards the Vatican museums.  We get there quickly and see that the line to get in is very long already.  We’ve not lined up in a queue yet, nor are we about to start. We’ve already booked our tickets for a 9:30am start, so we stride past all these people and go straight in. We exchange our voucher for tickets and in we go. (We were early, but that didn’t matter. Nice). Here’s the queue.

We entered the museums and the first section is the Egyptian display with mummies and huge marble figures everywhere.  And then what d’ya know, we stumble across Jar Jar Binks! Get outta here!

Moving on there’s the usual sea of marble. We’re almost over it. But here’s Emperor Claudius.

Out into the hall of maps and the ceiling is something else. Click on the image to take a close look at this (and I don’t mean on your smart phone or tablet!).

We move along the hall and nek minut there’s this. Flat white anyone?

Just before we left the ‘painted’ rooms there was one painting that caught my eye.   Look carefully… is that Sylvester Stallone on the left?

We moved through the Sistine Chapel (no photos allowed in there. Whatever) and outside where it is pi$$ing down. Up goes the brolly, and we head to the ticket office to buy a short lift ride to the roof of St Pete’s. It’s €7ea!  We hopped out of the lift and paused before heading across the roof (photo below). It was bucketing down but we make a dash and up the steps to cover. We’d no sooner gotten to the top when there was this massive clap of thunder with lightning at the same time. A big fork strikes the dome adjacent to the St Peter’s dome (on left of photo). Woohoo!  I reckon the big fella upstairs knew that Muzza was about to enter da house and was sending a message to say “You’re on my patch now son, so behave!”.  I did!  🙂  Kath had only just poked her nose inside and so she rushed out to say that the lights had gone out in the building.

Nevertheless we moved inside and up the dark hallway.  We found a door that took us inside the cupola and high up above a service that was going on.  No problem with the lights down below.  It was business as usual. There was chanting, singing and all the churchy stuff that I could never quite understand.  Here’s a photo of some pope-like figure perched in a chair impersonating a statue.

This was a great spot to snap a pic of the dome ceiling.  Really impressive.

We get bored and move towards the steps to the top of the dome.  Off we go… all 323 of them took us to the top.  Yup… it was a good ol’ slog.  Lucky I’m just a young fella huh!  Here’s young Kath at the start of the climb.  There was was way less room towards the top including a very tight demanding spiral climb at the end.

And here’s the view at the top (between showers).  The weather reminded me of New Plymouth. Pissing down one minute, then sunshine, then <repeat>, <repeat>.

And Kath at the top.

I noticed down in the Vatican gardens that there’s a papal party grotto (modeled off Hugh Hefner’s equivalent I suspect).

We eventually descend to the roof. It has stopped raining now (and remained that way for the rest of the day!).  Kath snapped this picture of me slurping on some ‘holy’ drinking water.

We move across the roof and here we are again.

After  buying a postcard and mailing it off via the post box on the roof, we head down the long spiral exit stairs to the Basilica below.  The long service inside ended as we reached the front of the section sealed off to public.  We were just in time to witness the start of the papal Santa run!

The Santa’s were followed by some other blokes escorting this pope-like dude out a side entrance.  Security was tight but we don’t know if it was actually ‘him’. Others were convinced but who knows (and who really cares!).

One of the Santas clearly didn’t make it.

The inside of St Pete’s was very impressive. Huge ceilings with magnificent decorations, and heaps of statues around to look at.  Here’s one of the many marble pieces.

We head outside and yup, now I’m convinced.  The Italy Sevens party  is in town!

Another Police car.  Uniforms everywhere.  And no scum element to be seen. We find them on a bridge. Read on.

We leave the square behind with a queue of hundreds who await entry into St Peters.  Again. Why would you waste time in a queue for hours on end when you can book online and go straight in.  Bizarre.

We cross the Ponte Vittorio Emmanuelle II (bridge) over the Tiber River.  Half way across Kath snaps this photo of me with the Castel Sant’Angelo (123AD) in the background (Google it).

Just after the above pic was taken a siren could be heard and this car zoomed across the bridge.  The words on the car translate to ‘Organs and blood transport’.

We cross the bridge  and spot a bar / restaurant which we enter.  I had a Panini and a Peroni, and Kath had a pizza and Peroni. Great service from our friendly waitress.  The best we’ve had since being in Italy. Usually they’re a bit grumpy and carry a ‘can’t be bothered’ attitude.

We walked around the river and crossed the next bridge to the Castel Sant’Angelo.  There are dudes on this bridge selling all sorts of rubbish including ‘Gucci’ handbags etc.  Big fines if you’re caught buying this stuff.  These particular guys ask for sales but take rejection well.

Outside the ruin is another Sevens party goer.

From the top of the ruin – the two bridges we crossed.

We leave Castel Sant’Angelo and walk around the river and past the Palazzo de Giustizia (Palace of Justice). Check out the Smart cars. Very popular here, and easy to park (either sideways or front on).

We find  Via di Ripetta with it’s rustic old buildings.

At the end of this street is Piazza del Popolo where we will be tomorrow morning to meet the bus that takes us to Mt Vesuvius and Pompeii.

With feet tiring we make our way to the Flaminio Piazza del Popolo metro stop and back to Termini.  We buy a gelato each to eat on the short walk home. Hmmmm….. boooootiful.

Oh and… here is the building where we’ve been staying.  The entrance is 3 arches down on the left face. We are on the 3^rd level.  Ok… all done for today!