Day 7 :: When in Rome...

In packed St. Peter's Square

For day 5 of our cruise the port city was Civitavecchia, Italy.  Don't worry if you can't say it.  It took me a while to get it.  According to my research this cruise port terminal is super long.  We also had a 60 minute train ride to Rome so we set our alarms for 6:30am.  This might be a vacation but we really didn't have time to sleep in.  Our cruise newsletter said there was a free shuttle from the ship to the end of the port but there is so much going on that we couldn't find it.  We asked, but still couldn't really find it so we just kept walking. I was moving pretty fast because I was anxious about getting there and Mj isn't ready for all of that so early in the morning so he trailed behind me.  This port is huge and it took a good 35 minutes just to get out and about another 10 minutes to the train station and we were there by 8:15am.  We bought B.I.G. tickets, short for Biglietterie,  for 12 € Euro each which would cover our round trip train and the metro while we were in Rome.  There were so many people on the deck all waiting for the same train.  When it came and the doors opened up there was a crush of bodies surging towards the doors to get in.  I wasn't even sure we'd make it.  We did but there were no seats so we stood the whole 60 minute ride to Rome.  We got off at Roma Termini then headed for the metro which would take us to a station close to St. Peter's Square.  Roma Termini is huge!  We walked forever and ever just to get to the metro area and when we did we found ourselves once again mashed among a sea of people and packed into the train.  We didn't make the first one but the next one came just a few minutes later and was almost as packed.  It was crazy!  It was a fairly short ride from there but in all it took us about 2 1/2 hours to get to our final destination and actually start exploring the city. 

St Peter's Square

Excuse me Mr. Pope; could you scootch over just a bit so we can get into the Basilica?

And that was only the beginning.  I feel like Rome basically chewed us up and spit us out.  We went to St Peters Square around 11am and it turns out the Pope was in the middle of it speaking which was cool.  But what was not so cool is that because he was there and standing right in front of it we couldn't get into St Peter's Basilica.   We headed towards the Vatican Museum.  There were people outside trying to sell front of the line passes with tour for 30 € Euro each but there wasn't much of a line at all so I'm really glad we didn't do it especially since it was only 15 € Euro each for tickets.  Inside it was very crowded.  The Vatican Museum is like Ikea on crack.  Once you get in it's very difficult to find your way out.  It's like a maze.  You are funneled from one area to the next without really knowing where you are headed next or where you came from.  Maybe there was a brochure or a map but we missed it.  We were funneled through several different rooms full of walls lined with painting after painting and then finally we found ourselves in the Sistine Chapel where we were not allowed to take pictures.  There were guards at the door.  Like all the other cathedrals we were required to cover our shoulders and you can't show too much leg.  It was cool and dimly lit inside.  It was pretty crowded but there was still a general hush about the room. It really was beautiful. 

Inside the Vatican Museum

By this time we just wanted out of this place!  We'd seen the Sistine Chapel so we were ready to go.  We were hungry and just didn't really have a whole lot of patience for the rest of the paintings.   We were in there for about 1 1/2 hours I think.  We finally get to the exit and then there is this huge downward spiral staircase to get out that keeps going on forever and ever.  Seriously!  I thought we'd never make it out.  By the time we got out half of our day had passed and traffic in Rome is really bad.  We waited forever for a bus to take us towards the Colosseum and then when it finally came we were barely moving because of all the terrible traffic.  There are motorcycles and mopeds darting in and out of lanes everywhere you go.  You really have to be aware of your surroundings because there is just so much going on.  While we were on the bus Mj spotted the Coliseum so we got off and walked.  The Coliseum is magnificent.  It's huge and it looks just like you imagine it would when you see it in movies.  It was 2pm by now so we didn't have time for the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon, Roman Forum or Trastevere so we called it quits and headed for a place to eat.  We needed food and wine!

Just chillin' at the Coliseum

I wanted to try Lasagna but I couldn't miss a day of Pizza eating in Italy so we ordered both along with a bottle of wine and split it.  It was so good.   We also had limonchello's.  It tastes like candy...but with a major kick!  Very deceptive.  We were positively exhausted by this point.  We took the metro from the Colosseo station back to Roma Termini.  The train was crowded and I almost didn't make it in behind Mj slamming my arm a little bit in the door as it shut.   Giddy from wine, I just had to laugh.  We made the long walk through Roma Termini back to the train station area and then it was an hour back to Civitavecchia in a train without AC.  At least we had seats.  Our train must have left late or something because we were back later then anticipated.  If we had caught the next train and it took that long I don't think we would have made it back to the ship in time.  My feet were killing me by the time we got back.  Thank goodness as soon as we got to the end of the port there was a shuttle waiting and we were able to get right in and get back to the ship.  I made sure we got our shows on the first three days of the cruise because I figured we would get more tired as the days went on.   It was nice not to have anything to do that night. 

We napped hard after that and I never really got up.  I was done for the rest of the night.  Mj woke up and went to the Windjammer to grab some food but he was so late that everything was shut down except dessert.  Rome wore us out.  You could probably spend three days there and not see everything it's that big.  The metro is fast but stays on the perimeter and does not go to a lot of tourist sites that are in the center.  Then there is lots of traffic in the city center making it hard to get around.  A Hop on Hop of bus may have helped a lot.  Another hunch that I didn't act on.  I had big plans but Rome wasn't built in a day so I could hardly expect to see it in one either!

Next Stop:  Naples, Italy