Roman Sabbatical

Day 4: The Vatican

Of course this is THE Pieta

A 10am “tour” of St Peters Cathedral meant an early start and a crowded train but by now we felt like locals.  We took the Metro through to Ottaviano San Petro and walked the length of Via Ottaviano to our meeting place under the columned arcade of Bernini’s famous Piazza San Petro (1667).  The space is vast and even at that hour of the morning, tourist numbers were increasing and temperatures rising.  The obelisk in the centre was brought to Rome by Caligula and used for a time by Nero in his circus as a turning post for chariot races.  Why ever not?  Priceless antiquities with benefits.

We met our guide, skipped the line (entrance to St Peters is free but numbers are controlled, so the ever present queue cannot be avoided) and fronted for an audio guide.  Let me tell you, the Vatican has gone modern.  We downloaded an app on our phones using free Vatican wifi and were given an earpiece.  All this sounds awfully cosy and convenient, however the app was not user-friendly (far too complex for us low tech over 60’s) and there was way too much information. GS didn't make it passed the Cardinal’s introduction!  Then the earpiece threw a wobbly.  

By this time our guide had mysteriously disappeared and we realised exactly what we had paid for - no guide, no answers to questions and shuttled along a conveyor-belt line with a mass of humanity.  (We could only imagine what profits the Vatican is reaping daily from the masses). 

Still, we were inside and so out with the trusty guide books and off on a tour of our own making, wandering for 1 ½ hours through this cavernous space; highlights were Michelangelo’s Pieta (now behind glass after being attacked by some crazy person), Bernini’s elegant dome and writhing High Alter Canopy and a spot on the floor where Charlemagne was crowned by the Pope.  One can only begin to imagine the pomp and ceremony of such State occasions.

Vatican Museum painted ceiling

Then it was time for round two – a yellow guide and quick march past a very lengthy queue waiting in the sun for tickets to the Vatican Museum.  This time, an audio guide was not included, so we had little to moan about except to consider that the profits from our entrance fees might be used at Christie’s Auctions to obtain yet more valuable art works (when donations were slow that is).  Cynicism aside, the Museum is vast and to ensure an expedient flow of visitors, the complex is designated with one-way routes (not clearly marked but evident by the human drift and encouraged by security staff). 

The Sistine Chapel was the end of the line, so we shouldered bags, filled our water bottles and joined in.  Be warned!  You will incur the wrath of the security guards if you take photos or make noise in the Sistine Chapel.  GS missed the notice, so was warned off.  The fellow next to us was not so lucky - he even had to delete his photos and show proof to the guard who stood over him until his mission was achieved!  We stood for as long as we dared gaping at Michelangelo's famous artworks, and then escaped via the exit, lined with bookshops, religious memorabilia and regular tourist tat.  In all, a thriving business!

Walls on the map room

What a stairwell!

We finished our day with the Omni Bus ride.  It may well be a 24 hour ticket that we had, but the offer was for one ride (round trip only).  The earpieces didn’t work so we sat up-top with the breeze in our faces and feet finally up to take our last look at this extraordinary city.  At its conclusion, we stayed on board (oh, we are so naughty!) and hitched a ride to the main train station, Termini.  Then it was back to WJ3 with a few odd jobs to complete before our departure scheduled for the following morning. 

One of these would have come in very handy down the Museum's corridors