Vatican and Historical Centre – Thursday May 8/08
Another sunny day, and another layer of burned skin I fear. On the bright side, my father-in-law was eager to see St. Peters Basilica. Today we grabbed Bus #982 (according to our handy transit map) from just around the corner of our apartment, to Piazza Risorgimento
Even from the outside St. Peters is huge, and the line-up, although long, moved swiftly. The first part of the Basilica is more like a museum, we shuffled along in single file, admiring books under glass, statues, and so much more, while all appropriately silent – there are tombs here It wasn’t till we moved into the actual Basilica that I was hit with an explosion of excitement. I was finally here.
The sheer sight of the church can be overwhelming to absorb; I prefer small structures. Still the history of this place will make anyone gaze in appreciation and amazement.
Leaving the St. Peters, which is well worth a visit, we headed up the street to check out Castel Sant’Angelo The Castle is a great place to wander through – so peaceful. I was thrilled to be finally posing on Ponte Sant’Angelo. In the seventh century, both the castle and the bridge took on the name Sant'Angelo, explained by a legend that an angel appeared on the roof of the castle to announce the end of the plague. Word of warning, this place is not for those with the mobility problems. The ramp from the first level is a steep incline.
Heading back to the apartment we grabbed a light lunch from the pizzaria across the street and while the rest of the group napped, I filled out postcards on our sunny balcony just off the kitchen of our apartment.
My inlaws were bushed so we headed out for a stroll through the great Piazzas: Piazza Navona, Pantheon and, of course, Trevi Fountain.
This area is jammed with grand churches. Our bus let off in front of Chiesa Nuova,; the grandeur of the outside façade literally stole my breath the first time I laid eyes on it. The church is considered a small attraction because the competition is so stiff.
After wandering through Piazza Navona we checked out the two churches that line the area, including the massive Sant’Agnese in Agnone. Moving on we popped into the Pantheon, and for the highlight, wandered over to see Sant’ Ignazio di Loyola, and stared in amazement at the ceiling.
Another sunny day, and another layer of burned skin I fear. On the bright side, my father-in-law was eager to see St. Peters Basilica. Today we grabbed Bus #982 (according to our handy transit map) from just around the corner of our apartment, to Piazza Risorgimento
Even from the outside St. Peters is huge, and the line-up, although long, moved swiftly. The first part of the Basilica is more like a museum, we shuffled along in single file, admiring books under glass, statues, and so much more, while all appropriately silent – there are tombs here It wasn’t till we moved into the actual Basilica that I was hit with an explosion of excitement. I was finally here.
The sheer sight of the church can be overwhelming to absorb; I prefer small structures. Still the history of this place will make anyone gaze in appreciation and amazement.
Leaving the St. Peters, which is well worth a visit, we headed up the street to check out Castel Sant’Angelo The Castle is a great place to wander through – so peaceful. I was thrilled to be finally posing on Ponte Sant’Angelo. In the seventh century, both the castle and the bridge took on the name Sant'Angelo, explained by a legend that an angel appeared on the roof of the castle to announce the end of the plague. Word of warning, this place is not for those with the mobility problems. The ramp from the first level is a steep incline.
Heading back to the apartment we grabbed a light lunch from the pizzaria across the street and while the rest of the group napped, I filled out postcards on our sunny balcony just off the kitchen of our apartment.
My inlaws were bushed so we headed out for a stroll through the great Piazzas: Piazza Navona, Pantheon and, of course, Trevi Fountain.
This area is jammed with grand churches. Our bus let off in front of Chiesa Nuova,; the grandeur of the outside façade literally stole my breath the first time I laid eyes on it. The church is considered a small attraction because the competition is so stiff.
After wandering through Piazza Navona we checked out the two churches that line the area, including the massive Sant’Agnese in Agnone. Moving on we popped into the Pantheon, and for the highlight, wandered over to see Sant’ Ignazio di Loyola, and stared in amazement at the ceiling.
Before heading to Trevi Fountains, for our nightly gelato, we booked our celebration dinner at L'Eau Vive. The restaurant offers fine French cuisine served by a lay sisterhood of missionary Christians from five continents who dress in traditional costumes.
2 comments:
Am loving tagging along with your trip memories! Great pictures. Keep them coming.
Thanks Kathy.
And what a treat looking at my photos, but labelling over 436 photos (not each one of course, but just the most interesting ones, and before a large group of photos, is a grand task. A job in itself.
Elizabeth
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