Rome in Nine Hours

 

What can I say about my whirlwind visit to Rome?  The pictures say more than words.

 

Michael and I were among the first off the ship after it docked at Civitavecchia, Italy.  Civitavecchia, which means ancient city, is the principal cruise and ferry port for Rome. A succession of newer cities have been built on an ancient Etruscan ruins.  I understand there are some tourist things to see there but Michael and I headed for the train station to get the earliest train for Rome.

 

Most of the other passengers had signed up for bus tours.  We calculated that a bus would take over two hours to get to Rome because of traffic congestion while the train was a ninety-minute ride.  The ship sponsored tour included admission to the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel as well as a lengthy lunch at a fine hotel.  The museum and chapel deserve more than the quick walk through Michael remembered from a past visit.  Neither of us wanted to waste an hour and a half on lunch, no matter how sumptuous. Therefore, armed with a National Geographic map showing the sights and Michael's knowledge of Rome from prior visits, we set out on our own.  This was my first visit to Rome and Michael wanted me to see my top picks.

 

The train let us off a few blocks from the Vatican.  We soon joined a long line wrapping around the Vatican piazza to go through the so-called security check before entering St. Peter's Basilica.

I was able to take pictures as we walked along at a strolling pace.  Michael had a conversation with a tour guide shepherding a group of Chinese students who were in line directly behind us.  Lots of Chinese are visiting western tourist attractions these days.

 

The security check was minimal; the screeners were more interested in keeping the line moving than inspecting backpacks.  Soon we were in a long line snaking up the steps of St. Peters. It's a good thing that we were there relatively early in the morning.  St. Peters was moderately crowded when we got in and became unpleasantly hot and crowded by the time we left a few hours later.