Roma! Part 4 and final day... June 2nd: Vatican City & St. Peter's Basilica; Castel Sant'Angelo; Misc. Others

I had to get up bright and early this last day in order to beat the massive crowds that throng to the Vatican City.  I had already given up trying to get tickets into the Vatican museums--impossible unless purchased significantly in advance--but I had high hopes of at least getting into the St. Peter Basilica, which was free. The only thing was, my brother warned me that, unless I got there as early as possible in the morning, I could face hours of waiting in line to get in. So I hustled like mad to get up early, get on the metro train and make it to the Vatican. I got there by 7:45; still had a wait, but only about 20 minutes. Because it was so early, it was shady and cool...so not a problem at all. It was worth this extra effort! The Basilica was the most spectacular church by far, making it a perfect grande finale for my whirlwind tour of 4 days in Rome. I marveled at the spectacular art--especially the very fine mosaics made to look like actual paintings-- the myriad scuptures, the magnificent ceilings. Also marvelous was the crazy, steep and narrow climp up to the cupola. And finally, the tomb of the popes below was wonderful--sadly, no photos were allowed down there, so all had to be preserved only in memory. 

The time spent there--and admiring the vast, Vatican central square-- took the better part of the morning. Afterward, I meandered once more through the streets, this time on my own, as my brother was otherwise occupied. I wanted to go into the museum at the Castel Sant'Angelo, but the line to get in was too long. So... I wandered, took photos, sat in a park and watch happy people play frisbee... Also, because the date was June 2nd--a Friday--was also Republic Day in Rome, there was a fun-but-brief airshow. A few jets roared by overhead and let out streams of green, white and red smoke, the colors of the Italian flag. 

And thus ended my enriching time in Rome. I only saw a fraction of what there IS to see in this marvelous city, so clearly I have to return one day and do the rest. I knew it would hardly be sufficient... just scratching the surface, as it were... but I was satisfied that I did a pretty good job of it in such a short time!

There is so much more to see in Italy in general, of course... but this will also have to be for another time. The painfully short limitation of the 90 day Schengen Visa keeps me from lingering. Stay tuned... there is much more to come: Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain and Portugal! 


First set: Vatican City... Marvelously vast, crowded with throngs of people by mid-morning... most definitely worth the visit! Next time, I will try to get into the museums and gardens. This time, I had to be content with just seeing the huge plaza... 

 
















Secondly, the spectacular St. Peter's Basilica: The inside, and its multitudes of breathtaking artwork; the climb up to--and view from--from the cupola; the outside views of the cupola from halfway up the long ascent. 




Mother Mary with Jesus: famous sculpture by Michelangelo













I would NOT have believed that these were mosaics, and not paintings...but seen from a side angle, and looking very closely, it was possible to see the tiny mosaic pieces making up this magnificent masterpiece. Truly astonishing!!! 









































Third set: Castel Sant'Angelo-- a medieval castle, now a museum. It is surrounded by some lovely parks, in which I relaxed, out of the hot sun.











Fourth and final set: various meanderings, admiring the architecture and all else... 















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