Our day started ridiculously early today but it turned out to be worth every minute of missed sleep! I was up at 5:20 and into the shower, leaving me time for a hard-boiled egg, half of an apple about the size of my head, and an espresso before June, Carm, and I struck out on our mission. Anthony had other plans. We were all organized this morning and got out at our scheduled time. The sun was just peeking out from the horizon as we made our way to St. Peter's Basilica. The temperature was cool, perfect for walking around Rome!
The streets were quiet with only the odd car zipping around but luckily a lot of our route was along pedestrian walkways so we weren't almost run over a dozen times! I almost gasped as we rounded a corner to the bridge of the Tiber - the angel statues that lined the bridge were highlighted with gold from the morning sun, the marble glowing as if lit from within. Wow! I did have a thought of Dr. Who's Silent Angels!
Mere humans created such beauty but it was Nature that gilded it.
Past the Castel St. Angelo we turned the corner and there in the distance was St. Peters, also glowing with the light from the rising sun. Spectacular. The scale of the building shifted as we walked closer and closer, till it loomed above us like a mountain carved from stone. It's really mind-boggling to think of the labour to create such a site or would that be sight!
The line-up to the elevator to the top of the dome had started to form but we were early enough to be only about 20 people back… as we waited for the ticket office to open we took time to take in the details of the facade. Giant corinthian columns held up the soaring dome - were we really going to walk that far up? We did a small cheat, spending an extra 5 euros to get the elevator to the first level - stairs would take us to the very top.
Getting off the elevator, we stepped out onto a walkway that circumvented the base of the soaring dome. Mosaic artwork glazed the whole thing with colour and detail. It was almost too much to take in. Far below us, people on the basilica floor looked like ants, but we still had a ways to go. 320 steps to be precise, up a very narrow staircase that curved in, making us walk at a slant. We all did well - I was really proud of June for making such a huge effort! She's a trooper 😀
When we finally made it to the top, we stepped out onto a narrow terrace that encircled the very top. I was breathless, partially from the exertion but also by the spectacular view of Rome. Being so early, we had time to walk around a few times, stopping to take a million photos, before starting the walk down. There was no elevator to shorten the trip so by the time we made it to the bottom (551 steps), my legs were like rubber - I could barely stand, my legs were shaking so much.
There was more to take in, so with rubbery legs, I wandered around the basilica. Was everything blurry because my blood was pounding so hard? No, the vastness and beauty created a welling of emotion - I had to fight to not break down in tears. Mosaic, sculpture, and marble everything created a scene that would be impossible to imagine on my own. Someone, a long time ago, had the vision to create something so extraordinary.
I wandered alone, lost in awe of my surroundings. I find myself often immersed in the experience with no thought of the others with me! I took pictures of everything.
It was 9am when we staggered out into the sun. We were near(ish) to the market that Carm and I had walked to on Monday, but luckily google maps popped up a message that it was closed today - of course! It's May 1st, a national holiday. We were all starving, so found a little cafe to sit down (a welcome break!) for a coffee & pastry, before ambling down a wide pedestrian mall, window shopping. I deeked in & out of shops with beautiful clothes, and Carm was on a quest for a hat. He found a nice hat - I tried on a floushy summer pant & top outfit but it was way too big for me so I passed. It was such pretty fabric (and even had sparkles) so I was a bit disappointed!
It was time to start heading back - we were all exhausted and I’m afraid that we pushed June to her limits. After a side-quest to the food shop, we finally made it to our apartment. I couldn't get my shoes off fast enough! We had a simple lunch of soft mozzarella, slices of yellow pepper, and a slice of bread. Oh, and a bottle of Aperol spritz which put me straight to sleep! I'd told June that I probably wouldn't nap today - ha ha! I was out cold for an hour!
I will say that my hours on the treadmill at an incline really prepared me for this trip! Considering we did 22 floors (according to my fitbit), and 17,000 steps by noon, I feel reasonably okay, after a nap! (well, I'm sitting up in bed writing this and I can feel my legs stiffening up! Time for some gentle movement!).
I've been practicing my Italian without a ton of success. For the life of me, I cannot say a reasonable ‘bonjourno’ no matter how hard I try. I see the pain on Carm's face when I destroy the pronunciation! However, it's almost second nature to say ‘scusi’ and ‘si’ which I can do a reasonably well. I'll give myself a gold star for trying though!
We all rested up for the afternoon in preparation for our Michelin star meal tonight! I think I'll post this afternoon - I'm sure I’ll want to go straight to bed after supper!
Ciao!
Awesome!
“everything everywhere!”
“the light at dawn cast on white marble, bringing it to life - this deserves a double say as it was beyond awesome”
“making it to the top of the dome!”
“simple lunch”
