(Written on Thursday, June 11)
We are currently in the Rome airport headed to Athens in a few hours after spending the morning at Vatican City. We had a scenic drive back from Cinque Terre yesterday afternoon, passing through the Liguria and Toscana regions and enjoying nice views of the coast as we entered Rome. We stopped a few times for breaks along the way, too. Our first stop was at a gas station to finish off the rest of the pasta we made the night before (neither of us remember the last time we ate out of a ziploc bag, but hey!).
We also stopped to enjoy a nice view of a beautiful field of wheat and poppy flowers. The last time I was in Italy, I took the train from Rome to Florence and was awestruck as we went past a giant field of colorful sunflowers. I promised myself that if I ever went back, I'd look for a field like this and take a picture. And although we didn't see any sunflowers, this was a pretty spectacular view. Don't you think?
Our last stop was at a small beach town close to Rome called Civitavecchia, where we paused for a quick snack of dried salami and parmesan cheese and a scenic view of the Mediterranean Sea.
We tried to contact the rental car company before we left Cinque Terre to inquire about whether a late drop-off would be possible when we returned to Rome. No one ever picked up the phone so we decided to aim to get back no later than 7 PM, when the Hertz office closed. Well, we sort of misjudged the amount of traffic we'd encounter on the way back to Rome, and within the city. Joe and I tried our darndest to navigate through the city without the ever useful traffic layer on Google Maps that has saved us so many times when we had regular internet access. We did get back in one piece (not without a few mishaps with one-way roads, though) but it was well after 7 when we pulled into the Hertz car return area. Thankfully, the garage was open 24/7 so we were able to return the car just fine. We shared a chuckle, though, when we asked the Hertz attendant where the nearest taxi stand was so we could get to our hotel -- he mentioned we probably wouldn't be able get a cab because "Russia Putin here." Ha! Turns out Vladimir Putin was visiting with the Italian prime minister and Pope Francis. (I can only imagine what Pope Francis might have said to Putin -- "Please be nice to the Ukranians!")
The next morning, we woke up early and headed to Vatican City to see St. Peter's Basilica and the surrounding square. St. Peter's Basilica was first constructed in the fourth century CE on where Peter, one of the 12 apostles of Christ and the first pope, was believed to be buried. The obelisk in the middle of St. Peter's Square is magnificent and is the only one in the entire city from ancient times (it dates back to the third millenium BC) that has survived natural disasters and major conflicts. It has been moved around several times over the course of history and was originally brought to Rome from Alexandria by Emperor Augustus. It is said that during Emperor Nero's brutal persecution of the Christians, Peter was crucified where the obelisk stands. (Interestingly, Peter asked to be crucified with his head facing the ground since he did not feel worthy of being crucified in the same way Jesus was.)
St. Peter's was reconstructed in the 1500s since it was pretty much in shambles after centuries of wear and tear, war, and natural disaster. The pope at the time, Pope Sixtus V, actually ordered for the destruction of the Colosseum to build St. Peter's Basilica (he actually was disgusted by the violence that went on in the Colosseum and instead wanted to turn it into a wool factory to provide employment for local prostitutes)! We also read that he essentially wanted to make St. Peter's Basilica into an extravagant mausoleum for himself with beautiful statues and frescos.
The church itself is in the shape of a cross. The interior walls are lined with beautiful Michelangelo statues. The ceilings are covered with beautiful frescos, and an ornately decorated memorial honoring St. Peter at the center of the church. I was actually pretty surprised to learn that even though St Peter's Basilica is a very important church, a pilgrimage site for Christians all over the world, and a common location for large events, it is not the center of the Catholic church. The center of the Catholic church is actually the San Giovanni in Laterano, the archbasilica that we visited a few days ago. *FYI: For visitors of St. Peter's Basilica, I do not recommend the museum inside -- it's a waste of time and money. There are some pretty cool relics from previous popes (e.g. papal clothing and ornaments) but nothing about the history of the Vatican or the church itself.)
Shortly after visiting St. Peter's Basilica, we headed to the Sistine Chapel (where the pope lives and where important meetings happen, e.g. the papal conclaves). The line to get into the chapel and surrounding areas, however, was unbelievably long. Tourists were packed like sardines in the heat and we were constantly being hounded by people promising us no lines if we paid double the price of tickets (which we did not want to do). I really enjoyed the Sistine Chapel when I visited several years ago and I wanted Joe to experience the amazing frescos painted by Michelangelo. But our time was limited, as we had to check out of our hotel at 11 AM and head directly to the airport to catch our flight to Athens. We ditched the line and instead walked around the corner to a cute little bakery shop where we enjoyed a nice breakfast (including cannolis!) before heading back to the hotel.
Joe and I evaluated the portion of our trip in Italy on the bus ride to the airport. Our conclusion, unsurprisingly, was that it was amazing. Rome appeals to lovers of both history and art. The city has historical artifacts wherever you go and it is simply impossible to see everything in a day, a week, or even a month. Driving through Umbria, Tuscany, and Liguria offered amazing views of vineyards, rolling hills and the Appenine Mountains, the Mediterranean Sea, and fields of poppy flowers, wheat, and olive groves. Assisi, Montefalco, and other small towns were also rich in history, but had a sweet charm that we didn't necessarily see in a larger city like Rome. The food in these small towns was fresher and tastier, and made with love by family-owned restaurants. Cinque Terre was paradise on Earth with its beautiful villages built on jagged cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and nestled alongside the Appenine Mountains.
Despite Italy's beauty, history, and charm, it definitely has its problems. Buses and trains run pretty inefficiently and are almost always running late. Traffic is horrendous in Rome. Public transit is limited, especially given the heavy traffic of tourists in the heart of the city. The airport is a complete mess right now after the recent fire in Terminals G and H (in the center of the airport!).
All in all, though, Joe and I had an unforgettable time in Italy. We will always cherish the memories we made in this amazing country. We were lucky that we were able to even scratch the surface at experiencing the culture. We ate our way through the Lazio, Umbria, Tuscany, and Liguria regions as we drove up the Italian peninsula. We're so sad to leave but are thrilled to continue our adventures in Athens! (speaking of which, our flight is delayed almost an hour...no surprise there...)
We are currently in the Rome airport headed to Athens in a few hours after spending the morning at Vatican City. We had a scenic drive back from Cinque Terre yesterday afternoon, passing through the Liguria and Toscana regions and enjoying nice views of the coast as we entered Rome. We stopped a few times for breaks along the way, too. Our first stop was at a gas station to finish off the rest of the pasta we made the night before (neither of us remember the last time we ate out of a ziploc bag, but hey!).
We also stopped to enjoy a nice view of a beautiful field of wheat and poppy flowers. The last time I was in Italy, I took the train from Rome to Florence and was awestruck as we went past a giant field of colorful sunflowers. I promised myself that if I ever went back, I'd look for a field like this and take a picture. And although we didn't see any sunflowers, this was a pretty spectacular view. Don't you think?
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| Field of poppy flowers! |
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| Ecstatic to be in a field of poppy flowers and wheat. |
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| Lovely wheat field. |
Our last stop was at a small beach town close to Rome called Civitavecchia, where we paused for a quick snack of dried salami and parmesan cheese and a scenic view of the Mediterranean Sea.
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| Joe enjoying a snack of parmesan and salami. The parmesan was sold in small single-serving packets, sort of like string cheese in the US. |
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| Our view in Civitavecchia as we enjoyed our snack. |
We tried to contact the rental car company before we left Cinque Terre to inquire about whether a late drop-off would be possible when we returned to Rome. No one ever picked up the phone so we decided to aim to get back no later than 7 PM, when the Hertz office closed. Well, we sort of misjudged the amount of traffic we'd encounter on the way back to Rome, and within the city. Joe and I tried our darndest to navigate through the city without the ever useful traffic layer on Google Maps that has saved us so many times when we had regular internet access. We did get back in one piece (not without a few mishaps with one-way roads, though) but it was well after 7 when we pulled into the Hertz car return area. Thankfully, the garage was open 24/7 so we were able to return the car just fine. We shared a chuckle, though, when we asked the Hertz attendant where the nearest taxi stand was so we could get to our hotel -- he mentioned we probably wouldn't be able get a cab because "Russia Putin here." Ha! Turns out Vladimir Putin was visiting with the Italian prime minister and Pope Francis. (I can only imagine what Pope Francis might have said to Putin -- "Please be nice to the Ukranians!")
The next morning, we woke up early and headed to Vatican City to see St. Peter's Basilica and the surrounding square. St. Peter's Basilica was first constructed in the fourth century CE on where Peter, one of the 12 apostles of Christ and the first pope, was believed to be buried. The obelisk in the middle of St. Peter's Square is magnificent and is the only one in the entire city from ancient times (it dates back to the third millenium BC) that has survived natural disasters and major conflicts. It has been moved around several times over the course of history and was originally brought to Rome from Alexandria by Emperor Augustus. It is said that during Emperor Nero's brutal persecution of the Christians, Peter was crucified where the obelisk stands. (Interestingly, Peter asked to be crucified with his head facing the ground since he did not feel worthy of being crucified in the same way Jesus was.)
St. Peter's was reconstructed in the 1500s since it was pretty much in shambles after centuries of wear and tear, war, and natural disaster. The pope at the time, Pope Sixtus V, actually ordered for the destruction of the Colosseum to build St. Peter's Basilica (he actually was disgusted by the violence that went on in the Colosseum and instead wanted to turn it into a wool factory to provide employment for local prostitutes)! We also read that he essentially wanted to make St. Peter's Basilica into an extravagant mausoleum for himself with beautiful statues and frescos.
The church itself is in the shape of a cross. The interior walls are lined with beautiful Michelangelo statues. The ceilings are covered with beautiful frescos, and an ornately decorated memorial honoring St. Peter at the center of the church. I was actually pretty surprised to learn that even though St Peter's Basilica is a very important church, a pilgrimage site for Christians all over the world, and a common location for large events, it is not the center of the Catholic church. The center of the Catholic church is actually the San Giovanni in Laterano, the archbasilica that we visited a few days ago. *FYI: For visitors of St. Peter's Basilica, I do not recommend the museum inside -- it's a waste of time and money. There are some pretty cool relics from previous popes (e.g. papal clothing and ornaments) but nothing about the history of the Vatican or the church itself.)
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| Just outside St. Peter's Basilica, in the square. |
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| The obelisk in St. Peter's square. |
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| Beautifully decorated dome. |
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| The tomb of St. Peter lies just below the memorial to him at the front of the church. |
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| Memorial dedicated to St. Peter. |
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| Lovely lighting coming in from the back of the church. |
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| The list of all of the popes throughout history. |
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| Beautiful interior of St. Peter's Cathedral. |
Shortly after visiting St. Peter's Basilica, we headed to the Sistine Chapel (where the pope lives and where important meetings happen, e.g. the papal conclaves). The line to get into the chapel and surrounding areas, however, was unbelievably long. Tourists were packed like sardines in the heat and we were constantly being hounded by people promising us no lines if we paid double the price of tickets (which we did not want to do). I really enjoyed the Sistine Chapel when I visited several years ago and I wanted Joe to experience the amazing frescos painted by Michelangelo. But our time was limited, as we had to check out of our hotel at 11 AM and head directly to the airport to catch our flight to Athens. We ditched the line and instead walked around the corner to a cute little bakery shop where we enjoyed a nice breakfast (including cannolis!) before heading back to the hotel.
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| Holy cannoli! We had to try some of these before we left Italy. |
Joe and I evaluated the portion of our trip in Italy on the bus ride to the airport. Our conclusion, unsurprisingly, was that it was amazing. Rome appeals to lovers of both history and art. The city has historical artifacts wherever you go and it is simply impossible to see everything in a day, a week, or even a month. Driving through Umbria, Tuscany, and Liguria offered amazing views of vineyards, rolling hills and the Appenine Mountains, the Mediterranean Sea, and fields of poppy flowers, wheat, and olive groves. Assisi, Montefalco, and other small towns were also rich in history, but had a sweet charm that we didn't necessarily see in a larger city like Rome. The food in these small towns was fresher and tastier, and made with love by family-owned restaurants. Cinque Terre was paradise on Earth with its beautiful villages built on jagged cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and nestled alongside the Appenine Mountains.
Despite Italy's beauty, history, and charm, it definitely has its problems. Buses and trains run pretty inefficiently and are almost always running late. Traffic is horrendous in Rome. Public transit is limited, especially given the heavy traffic of tourists in the heart of the city. The airport is a complete mess right now after the recent fire in Terminals G and H (in the center of the airport!).
All in all, though, Joe and I had an unforgettable time in Italy. We will always cherish the memories we made in this amazing country. We were lucky that we were able to even scratch the surface at experiencing the culture. We ate our way through the Lazio, Umbria, Tuscany, and Liguria regions as we drove up the Italian peninsula. We're so sad to leave but are thrilled to continue our adventures in Athens! (speaking of which, our flight is delayed almost an hour...no surprise there...)
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