papal audience part three

After awhile one becomes caught up in the experience of the papal audience. People are chanting and surging forward. One can't help but start snapping pictures, sometimes of no one in particular except that I have a good view of the pope. Then he hops in his pope-mobile and drives by almost close enough to touch him. Following through with that last idea probably is not a good idea, given the level of security around the pope.
As a side note, after the audience I went into town to arrange a haircut. You can imagine me explaining what I want done to someone who doesn't speak any English, and my Italian is minimal. A very interesting, but somehow successful experience.

papal audience part two

The early morning begins to look worth it as we are able to see everything that is happening.

papal audience

Wednesday is the day to attend the papal audience. We have to arrive at the Vatican by 8A to achieve the best seats. We arise at 5A, leave campus around six, arrive in Roma Termini at 7:30, hop on the metro, and we still manage a caffe before 8A. It is all worth it because we obtain front row seats, and now all we have to do is wait until 10:30A when the pope actually arrives. The arrival of the pope causes quite a stir and people behind us surge forward like a rock concert. At least they do sit down during the actual papal address. Our group is announced and that is very exciting when the pope turns and waves to us!

week six vatican tuesday

We have a tour guide for the Vatican museums this afternoon at 2:30. So our plan is to get to the Vatican at 12N, climb the dome, then visit the museum and Sistine chapel. Great idea except the line for the dome is more than two hours long. Danilo and I have a strategy meeting. We decide to eat lunch and have a caffe. The plan is to visit the museum earlier than planned, right after lunch, and then the line for the dome will be gone. I am doubtful, but hopeful.
Surprisingly, everything went according to plan. We had a great visit to the museum. A great tour guide. And we were able to visit the Sistine chapel. They have a no picture rule in the Chapel now, and a request for silence. It would have been fairly quiet if they didn't keep yelling at people with cameras, "NO PICTURES".
The students then climbed the Dome. I passed, not because of the steps, but because there is this little catwalk you have to walk around the inside of the Dome. Just not possible. Instead Danilo and I picked up the tickets for the papal audience on Wednesday. That is Danilo passing by the Swiss Guards. Danilo is thrilled because we received the VIP passes, meaning we will be the closest civilians to the pope during his address.

week six vatican

The sixth week is our Vatican week. It is also Holy Week, adding a little more flavor to the experience. Many of the students have been awaiting this week since they signed up. I have deliberately avoided the Vatican even during my free time so that it is new and fresh for me as well as the students. Our plan on Monday was to climb the dome, all 521 steps. And then visit the basilica itself. When we arrived they informed us that the dome was closed to visitors today because the pope is visiting the dome himself for some quiet reflection. I wonder if he paid the 7 euros admission charge? Doubt it.
But no problem. We have the whole basilica to explore to our heart's content. And we will be back Tuesday and Wednesday, to climb the dome then. About an hour into our exploration of the basilica, the guys in suits come around telling us to leave. I'm asking them why. It seems the pope now wants to say mass in the basilica. What does he think this is? A church? You would think the guy owned the place or something!
But, we will back tomorrow.

week six sunsets

On Sunday we experienced the most picturesque sunsets from the roof of our building. They are the best sunsets since I arrived about five weeks ago. I attribute it to the arrival of our director of global learning, Ryan. More likely it was due to his wife Sara accompanying him. We unfortunately do not get these sunsets every night, but when we do they are terrific. And we can watch them from the roof terrace of our building.

Sperlonga part II

With my book in hand I start walking the beach looking for a beach chair to rent. The beach is totally deserted. There are no lounge chairs available. None of the hotels or little tiki bars are open till Easter. I did find a park overlooking the beach with benches. So I settled in with the sun and the water and read my book till lunch. Went and found a restaurant. Thank goodness these stay open all year. I had the best mussels appetizer ever. I mentioned to the owner that I walked the beach from one end to the other and I was wondering how many km it was. He asked if I went to the other beach? Other beach?! On the other side of the rocky outcropping there was another beach. It is the beach from the other pictures with the cacti. Really reminded my of the Caribbean islands.
I also got some nice pictures of the other beach in this group of pictures at sunrise on Saturday. I had a wonderful stay in Sperlonga. This is one place I would revisit any time. Although I probably wouldn't like it in the summer because it would be too busy

Sperlonga

So we have this free weekend coming up. Danilo is going home to visit his dad and lay flowers at his mother's grave. Most of the students are staying on campus for some much needed R&R. I am thinking about doing the same. We have a trip to Venice coming up and then I am off to Sicily for the next free weekend. Danilo says why stay and relax at Gandolfo. He says the sea is only an hour by train away from Rome, and I can relax by the water. Danilo knows I love the water. So I make plans to visit Sperlonga, a little seaside town which is popular among Romans during the summer heat. I pick up my train tickets on Thursday. Print out the train schedule online, seems to run almost every hour just like the Albano train we take every day, and look up hotels online. We picked out a good hotel on the water and try to call them, but all we get is the answering machine. I left my number on the machine for them to call me back.
Friday morning I get up take the 7:05 into Termini and catch the 8:45 to Sperlonga. I will arrive there around 10A. As I am arriving and exiting the train the hotel calls me back. The answering machine is on because the hotel is still closed for the season. They don't open until Easter. So I'm standing on a strange train platform, 12 miles from the city of Sperlonga, and the hotel I want to stay at is closed. I have to use the restroom and it is locked. I am beginning to regret my decision.
I am approached my a gentleman who offers to be of assistance. After five weeks in Rome, I have learned not to talk with strangers especially those offering to help me! But this situation calls for a different strategy. He is a driver, even has a business card, he is wearing a clean suit and tie, and I really have to use the restroom. He explains how to get the key to the restroom from the rail station office and offers to drive me to Sperlonga, and help me find a hotel.
I decided to take him up on his offer because I have no other option at the moment. And he was right about the restroom key.
The first hotel we stop at wants 90 euros per night. The driver tells me this is too much money and I am being ripped off, and the hotel is too far from the center of town. We get back into his car and drive another mile into town. We park the car and the driver says there are a number of hotels in the area and he will check to see if they are open. All the hotels on the water are still closed. There is a hotel across the street that is open. We decide to go and check. They have a room available for 55 euros including breakfast, has two balconies because it is a corner room. If you hang over the balcony and stretch into an awkward position you can see a patch of the sea. A picture is attached of my view. I take the room, pay the driver (he only wants 15 euros), and start checking out the beach.

more pictures from St. Pete in chains

week five thursday II

I forgot to mention something in my blog yesterday. After the visit to the hospital and lunch, I was heading back to Termini with Danilo. He asked me what I was planning since it wasn't even 2p yet. I didn't have any plans. Danilo says I must visit St. Pietro in Vincory, or St. Peter in chains. He says something about vincory meaning chains, also something about Michelangelo, some quick directions, and off he went to run some errands. The metro stop he recommended is only two stops from Termini so I decide to walk. I find the metro stop I would have taken and found the steps that Danilo said I should climb. Find the church but it is closed until 3P. That is something I still haven't gotten used to. Many things including stores and churches shut down in the early afternoon. I figured I was here and could wait another 45 minutes. Headed down to the cafe for a cold beer and some people watching. Thank goodness all the bars don't close during siesta! I climb back up the steps at a few minutes before three and the little piazza, actually it was quite large for a neighborhood piazza, in front of the church is jammed with people waiting for the church to reopen. I mean jammed. There are teenagers in multiple tour groups. Old people in their tour groups. Families with their little walking guides of Rome in their hands. There were even two concession carts. They always know where the hungry and thirsty people will be. This was unexpected.
Turns out Danilo was right again. Everyone must go to St. Pietro in Vincory. The myth, legend, tradition is that the church houses the chains St. Peter wore in prison before his death. I have a picture attached. The other interesting thing about the church is that it houses Michelangelo's Moses. Not quite sure how or why they rated a Michelangelo, but all the tourists knew it was there. I took pictures with flash, also not usually allowed in churches. Not sure how good they are because my skill at using all the commands on the camera is still weak. But I did manage a very nice picture of a mosaic the Michelangelo did, and a picture of the grim reaper. Enjoy, I know I did.

week five thursday

We had a great excursion this morning to one of the major public hospitals in Rome, Santo Spirito. Unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures. But the visit was very educational. Santo Spirito hospital is the longest continuously running hospital in Europe. We received the VIP treatment. We met with the Medical Director of the hospital, the Dean of the school of nursing, and the chief nursing officer gave us a tour. We visited a typical unit and met with a young American college student who was dying to speak English with anyone. We also visited the cardiac ICU and step down units. We also went for a great tour of their labor and delivery department. We had to skip the regular 490 class time on campus, but I don't think I could have explained their system as well as the medical director did. We also had to get up early and catch the 7:05 train, but it was worth it. I think we spent over four hours there. They were great to spend so much time with us. They were clearly very proud of their hospital and the work they do there. Danilo and I owe all of them a great thank you letter.

week five tuesday

Today I have no pictures. But we had the most amazing experience so far to date. We got to visit the excavations of St. Peter's grave under St. Peter's Basilica. Some estimates are that 10,000 pilgrims visit St. Peter's square/church/museums every day. Only two hundred tickets are available each day to visit the excavation site. A unique and special opportunity. The excavations were begun in secret in 1939 by Pope Pious XII. They continued throughout WWII in secret. In 1949 the excavations were made public. They found bone fragments that were confirmed as a large male. approximately 60-70 years of age. This is the estimated age of St. Peter upon his death. This was unusual in itself because life expectancy for most Romans of the time was around forty years of age. Secondly, while bone fragments were discovered for all parts of the body, there were no bone fragments of the feet. The assumption was that since St. Peter was crucified upside down, at his request, they merely removed his body from the cross by chopping off his feet. The grave was also perfectly centered under the altar of the original Basilica built by Constantine around 400AD. The current Basilica was built over the same site with the altar directly over the site of the previous altar. The other great thing about the visit was the opportunity to visit the tombs of previous popes without having to stand in a line all day. I especially appreciated the quiet, simple tomb of Pope John Paul II.

week five monday

Yes, week five has started. We are now beginning the second half of the semester. Midterm grades were explained to each student in conference. And we were ready to tackle Roma once more. Today we spent almost two and a half hours in leisure in the Borghese gardens. It was like a miniature version of Central Park. Had a little lake, quiet areas for reading or meditation. Joggers around the perimeter, none of whom I am sure were Italians. And there were rental stations where one could rent bikes or little pedal cars. They also had a boat rental place on the lake, but it regrettably was closed. I was looking forward to renting a row boat. Maybe Amy and I will return in a month to find them open. Some students sat alone under trees reading or just "chilling out". Some walked in pairs, ambling around the gardens, lost in quiet companionship. Others hurried from sight to sight in the gardens to capture pictures. I found that I enjoyed sitting on the benches watching people go by. Occasionally moving to another bench for a different perspective. Sometimes reading, most times not. The pond/lake was populated with many turtles. Two of which I captured sunning themselves.

week four Sorrento

After our visit to Pompeii we hopped the train back to Sorrento. Only to have the train break down half way back. Quick thinking Danilo arranged transportation back to Sorrento as we were losing valuable sightseeing and shopping time. On Saturday afternoon I visited the little cove below our hotel to grade midterm papers and calculate midterm grades. If one has to work, a wonderful view always helps as the pictures suggest. On Sunday morning I walked down to the cove early and watched the fisherman come in with their daily catch, sipping cappuccinos, and finished my grading. I do love the sea. Looking forward to revisiting the area with Amy in a month.