Homeward Bound

My Days in Rome have ended and now it is only hours before my flight leaves. Rome has to be one of the busiest tourist destinations in the world. Everywhere I go I see people trying to read a map of Rome(maybe 1 in 3). You see tour group everywhere. The Swedish group that was here at the convent left this morning and now there is another group to replace them. And these people are not all young. Many are older than me, walking for hours, in the heat of the afternoon. I give them a lot of credit.

Lately, I have been traveling everywhere in Rome by autobus or Metro. I think my bus riding experience in Portland has helped me understand this system better. Every bus I have been on is quite crowded, always more people standing than sitting. This is where you have to be careful with your money or other valuables. I took the Metro and autobus to Vatican and St. Peter’s Bacillica yesterday. The Metro was extremely crowded but this was during morning rush hour. I actually had to take two subways, but they move quite fast and it is a another world underground. There might even be two levels.

After getting off the subway, I walked to the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel. The line went quickly, and then you can rent a small audible player to listen to information about each thing that you see. The Vatican museum is really a collection of sculptures, paintings, tapestries, and artifacts collected by the Pope or the church during the Roman and Greek Times. It goes on forever. You can spend days in there. But again, there were people everywhere. One thing I saw was a mummified woman form about 500 AD. It was amazing how well preserved her body was and her red hair. (Red hair is very popular here. Something to do with henna, which I know nothing about. ha!). Of course, the crowning masterpiece for visitors is probably the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It is amazing. You can’t see it too well because the room is dark and you have to look up. But, just to learn how difficult it was to create is amazing!! Then to make is so extraordinarily eye catching is probably a miracle. In reading about it, Michelangelo really didn’t want to paint the ceiling because he insisted he was a sculptor not a painter. But when he finished, it blew them away... I am glad I saw it.

After 3 hours in the Vatican museum, I had to find a place to rest, have lunch before tackling St. Peter’s Bacillica. The huge square in front of St. Peter’s is really an oval, with about 150 pillars around the edge. These really seem huge when you are standing beside the base of one of them. I was mentally preparing myself for a long line, when I heard someone say “Free tour in English group”. I immediately followed the sound and found a tour guide who was giving free English tours. We were a group of 6. I was extremely lucky, because you get to cut through the line if you are with a group.

Inside, words can not describe what your eye beholds. It is the biggest church in the world, maybe?? The guide gave us all kinds of statistics about the dimensions, which were all astounding. I do remember it took 120 years to build and about 5 Popes. I wonder how many workers? There are so many domes everywhere. and hundreds of huge pillars. The main alter is surrounded by bronze twisted pillars. The two pieces that I liked. One was Michelangelo’s Pieta, which has incredible detail. And to think that one mistake with this marble, and you have to start over. Michelangelo was only 28 when he did this and it was the last piece he ever signed. After that, everyone knew his work without his signature. Another piece that I liked was the sitting statue of St. Peter, with is his shoes off. People come up and kiss his feet or touch his feet.

I am very glad I got to see both of these places. I think this is place that people should put on their list of must places to see.

Little things that I have noticed in Italy. Italians like to talk with their hands. The use a lot of body language. I guess I always knew that but it becomes very obvious in Italy. Italians love their wine and pasta. You can find at least 30 restuants within a few blocks of this convent. All serve Pasta and wine, and the Gelato!!Now, I like it too, but I can’t figure out why they are not heavier(body weight). Maybe it is the Vino!! Many people in Italy were stylish sunglasses and distinctive watches. It is again very noticeable everywhere. In Italy, I have talked to lots of street vendors, who are generally from Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, and Bangladesh. These are supposedly all legal, but can’t get a job because of the economy and just live on a few euros a day.(I understand they have many illegal aliens too). So the world’s poor is the same everywhere. I don’t know how they do it. Yet they all have a dream!! I feel so Blessed!!

Well, I hope my flight home goes well tomorrow. I have a very tight transfer time in Frankfurt-only 1 hour and 10 minutes. I called Lufthansa, hoping that they will “hold my hand” and guide me through to make sure but they insisted I can do it alone. Ha!! If I have to go through security and passport screening like I did coming, I doubt it.. So, hopefully I will be home Friday noon!! I am sure the weather is great in Portland.

Arrivederci......hopefully, a prologue I get home.