Sunday 4 June 2017 Vatican and Colosseum
Today we’re off to the Vatican.
Thought we’d catch the CitySightSeeing bus after breakfast. Breakfast starts at 7 am. We were talking to some of the other guests in the hotel, two couples from Sydney, and they suggested we get there early, like before 7. Okay that’s not going to happen. After breakfast at about 8 am head off looking for a CitySightSeeing bus. They don’t start until 10 am. Okay we’ll get a taxi as there’s two behind us, but there are no drivers. Hail a taxi.
15 mins later arrive at the Vatican. There are people everywhere and they are all wearing the same caps and scarves. It’s a special mass today, the 50th Anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic Movement. And they’ve come from all over the world for this day, the day we choose to see the Vatican.
Wait in line for 2 hours and we’re grateful we got here when we did as the line only got bigger closer to 10 am it got. The security here is tight, everybody that enters has there bags x-rayed and everybody is body scanned like at the airport only they’ve got, must be, 40 entrances covered.
St Peters square is a huge area and there will be thousands of the faithful here to hear the Pope take Mass. But it’s not going to be us. Dea and I found that standing in the sun (29 – 32 DegC) was going to be too much so we left. Just bought a bunch of souvenirs at the stalls outside. And the people are still pouring in, those in groups are singing hymns.
Dea and I take a slow walk up the Via della Conciliazione to the CitySightSeeing bus stop. It’s getting to be a very warm day here in Rome.
Take the bus tour around to the Colosseum. There are men at every stop selling frozen bottles of water, and their doing a great trade as it is so hot on the top level of the open top bus.
The Colosseum comes into view and it’s pretty impressive. This is my thing and Dea decides to sit and wait in the shade while I go for a walk around and take photos. The line to get in is huge. Advise to all travellers, if your going to visit these sort of places in peak time and you want to go inside book well ahead. My friends told me the same before we left. It can’t be that bad, it’s worse. If your happy to either get to the site at 3 in the morning and be one of the first in or wait in line, in the sun, for up to four hours with all the other people grumbling about how long it takes to get in, go for it.
There are some pretty good advantage points to take photos from of the external and you can get a peek inside at some places. It took me about half an hour to complete the circuit and a full bottle of water, it really is hot today
The Italian army is everywhere, which is kinda scary but also reassuring. We don’t see men and women in army uniform carrying automatic rifles on the streets in Australia. But with the number of people at these places some whacko could be tempted to have a go at doing some harm.
Back on the bus and do the full tour of Rome and back to our hotel to pack for tomorrow.
Tea at ‘That’s Amore’ Restaurant tonight and probably the best meal we’ve had in Rome. It was meat dishes, just a little over pasta and pizzas.
Still haven’t heard back from the bank about my replacement MasterCard. Not that concerned I still have others.
Off to Venice tomorrow.