Rome

Day 3 - The City

The first order of our last day in Rome was to get to the top of St Peter's. We had intended to do it the previous day but had run out of time, energy and light. Although the day was grey and showery, we headed out anyway.

The Courtyard of St Peter's Basilica

The Swiss Guard were out in full ceremonial force, though the uniforms don't look particularly threatening. We entered through airport-style security, and entered the basilica again. It was no less impressive the second time around.

With costumes by Leonardo, the Swiss Guard are on display in St Peter's.

We bought tickets for the observation platform that included an elevator ride to the roof, cutting our stair-walking in half. The lift opened up right on the roof, and a short walk through the rain to the main dome had us climbing progressively smaller staircases that spiraled their way up the dome.

Tourists walk across the roof of St Peter's to get to the observation platform on top of the dome.

When we finally did reach the top the view was incredible. The rain stopped just as we reached the observation platform, and the air was clear. Visibility was great. It was odd to think that the entirety of a country lay at my feet in easy view.

The Vatican, a tiny country containing a palace, a garden, an impressive art collection and the biggest Catholic Church in the world.

Rome glistened below me, still wet from the rain. We managed to spot the Pantheon and the Colosseum, and we were looking for other landmarks when the chill in the air and the returning rain sent us scurrying back down to the ground.

Statues of Saints watch over the city of Rome

From there we simply walked through the city, taking in various piazzas and soaking in the atmosphere of Rome, which was certainly very special. Every now and again, we'd see a nun or a priest bustling around, and it added to the Roman atmosphere. Say what you will about the Roman Catholic Church, but they do have cool uniforms. Our walking was pleasant but the frequent, heavy showers made it less than perfect.

Stereotypical Roman transportation; the small car and the scooter.

Our last stop of note was one that I had been looking forward to since the previous night. The Pantheon looked no less spectacular by day. At 1900 years old, it was looking remarkably good for its age. Although originally a Roman temple dedicated to the whole pantheon of Gods (hence the name), it was consecrated as a Catholic Church in the 7th century.

The Pantheon, looking good in spite of, or perhaps because of her age.

The inside was spectacular. The was a hole in the centre of the dome which allowed sunlight and pigeons to enter the church. Beautiful statues sat in nooks in the wall, but by that time I'd already seen at least a hundred beautiful renaissance statues, so I couldn't really get excited about it. However, if it weren't for the Sistine Chapel, St Peter's Basilica and the Trevi Fountain, this would have been the highlight of the trip.

The inside of the Pantheon. The temple, originally dedicated to all Roman Gods, is now a Catholic Church (composite photo).

We headed to the Spanish Steps, but by that time we were so tired that we really were just going through the motions. We glanced at them, but they didn't seem very special at all. Maybe we didn't notice why they're so famous, but they were crowded and we wanted to relax so we walked to the nearest metro station.

An ethnic minority street vendor sets out his wares after the rain stops.

The next day was Sunday, and we had a little time before we had to get to the Airport. We exited the hotel with our bags only to find that it was snowing. It didn't last for long, and by the time we had finished breakfast in a nearby coffee shop it was dry.

Anne works on her diary while breakfasting on bread and coffee on the morning of the last day in Rome.

We just had time to swing by the Circus Maximus before we headed out. It was a big field, but we could just make out where the circular 'chariot racing' track had been. Then it was back to Termini Station, back to the Airport and on to Paris.

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