Roma - Day 3

As I've mentioned yesterday, I ventured around Rome today -- alone :)

I woke up early to see the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. As Tita wasn't interested in going as she must have seen it for so many times, I insisted on going alone since I don't think it would be right to be in Rome and not see the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel.

Before going to my adventure, I prepared a very sumptuous breakfast (and the same merienda) for me from Tita's stock in the refrigerator -- prosciuto, bun and ricotta :)

Breakfast and Merienda

Just like yesterday, I took the bus going to the Blue Line but this time, the bus took me to the station after Garbatella (sounds like Basilica de Angelo or something). I missed three buses before being able to leap on this one because I kept on changing bus stops. There were two buses (Bus 670 or 715) that I could take on two different stops located on the opposite corners of the street so when I see one coming from the other end of the road, I run to the other stop, depending on which bus number it is. Unfortunately, I kept on missing it! Hahaha. So much for my train-catching ability!

On the bus, I wasn't really sure where to get off (I only know I have to look out for that bridge where we went to yesterday on our way to church). Luckily, there was also one old, tourist lady who got off so I went with her and walked the rest of the way. Fortunately, I do have a very good sense of directions and I ended up at Ottaviano station and I walked around the side of the Basilica towards the museum. This was a little after 0700hrs. The walk around the basilica towards the museum was kinda long but I was happy to find out that the end of the queue was just a few meters from the main entrance. I've heard horror stories of the queue running around the building and back if you're late so I really made it a point to be early.

Early morning crowd in front of the Museum Entrance (at the left, off the camera). What looks like the entrance is actually the exit door.

At 0900hrs (yes, I waited that long), the doors finally opened to those who are not part of a tour group and I'm so happy to be one of the first few people there! :) There are some people who cut in the line but even if I want to chastise them, I stopped because that wouldn't do me any good. After all, I also cut in line yesterday at the Basilica entrance.

Just a note: it's really good if you're a very small group, like Tita and I were yesterday, because we were able to weave around the complex queue to the entrance in no time at all. It also helps to act as if you live there and that you're used to the long lines all the time. At the Basilica entrance, there was an x-ray machine and guards to check on your stuff, before being allowed in.

Decided to take the staircase to the left

The entrance to the museums is around 15Euros and that includes the Sistine Chapel. It didn't include though, the headphones which I wasn't able to rent because they ask for your passport before giving it to you, and I didnt' have mine with me at that time. After the entrance, I stood still for a moment and just took a deep breathe, and said to myself: "This is it! Race to the Sistine!"

I only had three hours before I needed to go back to the apartment so I can catch my 230pm bus to Ciampino.

The Vatican Museums is really huge and as I only have limited time, I followed the shortcuts signs towards the Sistine but along the way, I was having a visual overload of the finest arts that man has done throughout the centuries! As I wove my way through the vastness of it all, these were the things that caught my eye (it's not really acceptable I know, but with only three hours to navigate the place towards the Sistine, I kinda had blinders on me):

 The first sarcophagus and item I saw upon reaching the top of the staircase

 Is this the Jesuit Borgia? Cool! A familiar name in an otherwise new territory. The students belonging to the Borgia class in my high school must really be proud of their patron saint.

 A very huge, and yet dark, tapestry depicting the beheading of children after Christ's birth - now known as the Innocents Day

The Ceiling along one of the many passageways of the museum. Each frame depicts a story in the history of the Catholic Church, others the images of Biblical characters. 

Just looking at the ceilings will give you a sense of awe -- and a stiff neck afterwards! Can you just imagine the effort put on it by the painters while craning their necks towards the ceiling. Just can't wait to see the one Michael Angelo painted.

Side story: One person I know said, "Why'd you wanna see it? It's just a painting!" Waaah! I truly hope no one else thinks that way. It's such a blatant display of ignorance or apathy towards one of the greatest work (and gift) in the world.

 Madonna (1956) by Lucio Fontana on "pietra tufacea vicentia" (most probably tuff)

 

Some of the many church items displayed in the Vatican Museums

Along the way, up and down I go, then I ended up in the Sistine Chapel. Unfortunately, picture taking is not allowed inside as they still try to keep the place holy. After all, it is still a chapel, a place for worship. The inside is really simple with an altar with Christ's statue on top. There were no pews to sit on but there are benches located at the edges of the chapel. Here, I stopped, sat and kept quiet. I prayed. I prayed for being always blessed by the Lord. I remembered the times when the Lord has lifted our family and I remembered the joys He brought us. After my reflection, I started writing down what I saw and felt onto the postcards that I will be sending back home. I wished that whatever blessing that the Lord is granting me at that time, I might share with the people I love back home.

On my way back, I ended up seeing other things such as these:

 A sarcophagus with an intricate side designs

 If one wants to take a break from touring, one can go to the gardens inside the museum grounds

Or one can go have a drink from one of those many watering holes in Rome

 An African 'sculpture' of boatmen near the entrance staircase

Finally, I saw the next thing I wanted to see in the museum -- the spiral staircase! I didn't realize that it would be the exit staircase. There was also an Uscito sign but I just can't figure out where because the place that the sign directed to was barred by some woodstands. I only realized later that it really is the exit and you had to go around those bars. LOL.

The spiral staircase

 View of the spiral staircase from below. The staircase is a misnomer because this spiral doesn't have stairs 

Near the exit doors, there is also a cloak room. Well, just an observation :)

A relatively bigger crowd awaited me upon exiting the musuem. But as I made my way around it, I can see that the crowd had just grown bigger and the line so farther away. As I still had time, I decided to go around the museum complex wall, thinking that I'd end up at the St. Peter's Square (hello, no map here!) and then cut across towards the Filipino souvenir store then to Ottaviano Station.

After so many minutes of walking, I finally admitted to myself that it was really a huge place because I couldn't see the end of it! The road seemed to circle the whole complex and I couldn't see even just one column of the square ahead. I then backtracked to the small alley that had a sign of the metro (50m) and walked towards it. But when I reached the 50m mark, it wasn't there and I had to ask other people. I couldn't speak Italian so I had to do sign language. I'm just so glad that the people I asked were so nice, unlike the resto proprietor I met on the first day who seemed to curse me just because I sat on one of his tables while waiting for Tita, who went to the toilet.

With the directions the kind people gave me, I finally reached the metro and eventually, the apartment. I only had time to take a shower and lunch then Tita and I left again for Termini Station where I'm going to board a bus out of Rome. On to the next leg of my trip!!! :)