Reminiscing Before Travel Season Begins...
After quite a journey with my youngest son, hubby and I boarded Ovation of the Seas. At the time, it was the largest ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet… but that only lasted about a week. Our departure port was Barcelona, with our first stop being Rome. The view sailing to Rome was incredibly peaceful…
Ships arrive in Civitavecchia, Italy. Quite a distance from the port, the heart of Rome is reached by bus or train. We chose a ship excursion by bus… dropped us off right new St Peter’s Basilica. Our bus ticket came with a “skip the line” entry to the Vatican. This giant brick wall lines the Pope’s home.
As expected, the security surrounding the Vatican was intense. All guests filtered through a screener before proceeding. Armed guards looked very intimidating at the entrance to the building. After our visit, we sat in a coffee shop directly across the street and watched the activity.
Talk about an immersive experience! The Vatican is top to bottom, wall to wall art… Incredibly detailed, it’s impossible to take in the workmanship. It must have taken years to complete paintings on the ceiling and walls.
Each room in the Vatican is full of historical artifacts… each had a unique character. This particular room was full of statues. A fountain in the middle created a walkway, making it easier to filter guests through. Knowing there is so much to see, it’s tempting to hurry through these rooms. However, we decided to slow it down and simply take it all in. Standing in the room… looking at every detail, the colors, the expressions carved out on the sculptures. Absolutely stunning.
It is almost dizzying to wander through these arched rooms. With the walls full of ancient relics… and the ceilings complete works of art… you just don’t quite know where to focus! Hoping for another visit in the near future…
One of the rare locations with a view to the outside city. With my photo shooting disorder, I had to stop and click a shot. There were a few potted plants scaling the wall outside. Traffic didn’t look too bad… miles of buildings in this densely populated city. Despite all of the cars and people, it remains extremely charming.
As with other trips, each day I get to take ONE selfie! Being selective is important. It seemed safe to say that we would see many more amazing sites but the Vatican and Sistine Chapel are once in a lifetime (for us).
A crooked museum shot and more ceilings… the amount of detail in every item was overwhelming! Dramatic colors… fine detail on the subject matter… true works of art!
As we continued to walk through the Vatican, we came upon a room filled with robes worn by former Popes over the years. Intricate stitching, these colorful robes were also works of art. Referred to as the mozzetta, the elbow length cape covered the Popes shoulders. Usually worn for public prayer and services, the cape comes in five colors. The information card in the case described this as the one worn at Easter…
The second photo is blurry because as I was taking these photos of the Sistine Chapel, it came to my attention that no photos are allowed! Oops… I figured since I already had them, I might as well save them to my cyberspace :-)
Impressive! Such a mesmerizing staircase. These were built in 1932 as a replacement for the original build in 1505. This incredible design had me viewing it from several angles. Bramante spiral stairs are in the Vatican Museum.
In the background sits Castel Sant Angelo. Previously the home of the Pope, now a museum. This was a very active area… street musicians playing American hits (Stairway to Heaven)… artists and tourists. Sitting by the Tiber River, it was a very special location.
Beautiful Tiber River flows through the city with grace. Beautiful bridges… statues on those bridges… connecting two sections of the Vatican area. Crossing the bridge was an entirely different experience. It was there that we found restaurants, souvenir shops and accommodations. It almost felt like being in a movie… historical… magical… mystical… peaceful… grand combination!
Another view of the Castel Sant Angelo. From our mid-bridge vantage point, the round building stood proudly overlooking the town and river. Impressive architecture!
Not one to be overly impressed… I caught this photo of hubby obviously soaking in the experience. He was situated in a spot that overlooked the Tiber River straight ahead… the Castel Sant Angelo to the left and St Peter’s Basilica to the right. Unaware of the passersby, he just surveyed the sites.
We crossed the street and watched workers setting up for the Pope’s visit. Unfortunately, we would be heading out a mere two hours before his arrival. That would have been amazing!
Seemed a great idea to pose in front of the fountain… behind me, people gathered awaiting the arrival of the Pope. Definite excitement in the air! Alas, it was time to return to our meeting spot and take the bus back to our ship…
After showering and slipping into a fresh set of clothes, we headed to Vintages Wine Bar. Our favorite wine tenders allowed us to use our “Buy One, Get One Free” on Overture by Opus One! What a treat after a long day of sightseeing! We wandered into Two70, the high tech showroom with floor to ceiling windows. The sunset view was unbeatable!
After wine and dinner, we went to see Wild boys perform! They are a lively bunch… out of the UK. In this shot, they were singing Duran Duran “Rio”… everyone was up dancing and singing. So much fun! Time for bed… it was a busy day…
