Adventures in Italy: Day 3

I should finish up day two in Rome by noting that, even when it is recommended by Rick Steves and only a short walk from one's hostel, a museum almost entirely filled with busts and sculptures of very similar looking ancient Romans is not a good choice.  Nope nope nope.  My apologies to Kate and Christine for dragging you into that one!  

Moving on, we spent our third day in Rome visiting the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica.  The line into the museum was virtually endless but it moved pretty quickly.  When we finally got in, the three of us had a debate on whether to skip to the end and see the Sistine Chapel first or whether to see the museum first, eventually ending at the Chapel.  We chose the latter, and to be quite honest the museum was pretty much a gold-tinged religious blur.  There is just so. much. stuff:  sculptures, paintings, tapestries, maps, frescoes, random objects, gifts to the Pope, and on and on.  Dim rooms upon rooms upon rooms, all connected by endless, luxuriously decorated hallways.  Even with our beloved Rick Steves, it was too much to wade through without a true guide.  

By the time we arrived at the Sistine Chapel, I was wiped out.  And you might not believe me or like me for saying it, but the Sistine Chapel is overrated in my personal opinion.  It is packed with people, the security guard is constantly trying to bark over the drone of visitors "No pictures, please, no pictures", and the ceiling is nothing more that what you may have seen in pictures.  It is high up, and long, and there is a lot of religious scenery, most of which I was able to decipher.  The scene with God reaching out to man and vice versa is not in the center, and it is more beautiful and impressive in my memory than it was at the moment I was there.  One end of the Chapel has a wall which is painted with scenes from Judgement Day, which I found much more engaging than the ceiling itself, even though it is much less famous.  

After our exhausting trek across the museum, we stopped for lunch at a panini sandwich shop to regather our strength and concentration before exploring St. Peter's Basilica.  The Basilica is SO huge!  Plainly decorated on the outside, but a literal treasure chest within.  The most impressive and interesting vantage point was from above.  Kate and I decided to climb the 500+ steps to the top of the Basilica's dome, stopping at the inside balcony to have a look at the riches below.  What a view!  Every detail is a work of art.  After a harrowing final ascent (I will never be a mountain climber!) we were rewarded with a fantastic view of St. Peter's Square and all of surrounding Rome.  Interesting fact: no building in Rome is allowed to be taller than the Basilica, so the view is free of skyscrapers or other obstructions.  The descent was just as gut-clenching and knee-knocking as the climb up, if not worse, so Kate and I decided to stop for ice cream on the Basilica's roof.  What a wonderful treat in such an unusual location!  

With all of our "required" sightseeing now finished, I begged my companions to join me in finding the Mouth of Truth.  It was a very long walk and I was pretty worried that we wouldn't find it or that it would be closed when we arrived.  Kate and Christine were such good sports about it- they weren't familiar with the movie "Roman Holiday" but they could see how important it was to me that I see it if at all possible.  We walked and walked and walked, until I thought my feet would fall off and we would never find it.  Eventually we reached an open square, and there it was, just a few hundred feet away in a gated area outside a little church.  

We quickly joined the line of rowdy Roman schoolchildren- was it a field trip?  and I watched with delight as each kid got his or her photo taken with a hand in the Mouth, some delighted, others looking a little nervous.  The line moved quickly as I mentally re-watched the infamous scene between Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, over and over.  I couldn't have been more pleased!  When it was finally my turn I was a bundle of excitement and smiles as I approached the Mouth and put my hand inside.  Click, Kate quickly took the picture, and I walked away from the experience with both hands and a huge grin.  Makes me smile just thinking about it.  What a magical end to our stay in Rome!