Roman Holiday - Part III

As per the forecast, we awoke to rain on Easter Sunday. While our initial plan was to attend Easter Mass with the pope (and who knows how many others) in St. Peter’s Square, we had to change our plans after learning that tickets were required. As a plan B, we decided to head to one of Rome’s other three basilicas – Santa Maria Maggiore – which definitely didn’t disappoint. The atmosphere of an Easter Sunday mass in Rome was an incredible experience. Here are some of the pictures.

After the service we grabbed a quick lunch (pizza again) and then headed to the Forum to see the ancient Roman sites. Though the rain was still coming down lightly, we figured it still made sense to go as the weather would likely keep the crowd at a tolerable level. Unfortunately, the light rain turned into a downpour and we proceeded to get absolutely soaked. The fact that we were sharing an umbrella definitely did not help. It was still pretty incredible though, and I managed to get some nice pictures.

Just when we thought we couldn’t go any further, the rain finally stopped. At this point we had reached Palatine Hill, the centermost of Rome’s seven hills, and the improved weather allowed for some nice pictures of the ancient structures (some dating back to “BC” times). There was also a nice view of the Colloseum, which is where we headed next.

As expected, the rainy weather had one major upside – less tourists. We had already bought our ticket as part of the Forum and Palatine Hill visits, so we were able to walk right in. The structure itself was very impressive, particularly considering that it dates back to around 80 AD. At one point someone yelled “Are you not entertained?!?!” in his best Russell Crowe voice from Gladiator. It was pretty funny…

We then decided to head back to the Vatican in order to (hopefully) get into St. Peter’s Basilica. The only issue was that by this time we were completely exhausted and didn’t want to walk across town. So we searched…and searched…and searched for a cab, but with no luck. And then it happened. Out of nowhere a public bus approached with a large “San Pietro” on the marquee. If that’s not a sign (from above) then I don’t know what is. So we jumped on and headed off on our way.

The line to get into the basilica was long but moved fairly quickly. Fortunately, the inclement weather seemed to have kept the masses away there as well. The following are a couple of pics that I took while in line, including one of a Swiss guard.

I don’t think there are words to describe St. Peter’s Basilica. The architecture is amazing and the artistry inside is absolutely incredible. I won’t waste your time with words – here are some of the pictures. One of my favorite sights was Michelangelo’s La Pietà.

The basilica is so large that they’re able to hold mass in the front while thousands of sightseers are walking about the rest of the basilica virtually unnoticed. By sheer luck we were at the front of the sightseeing area when the guards allowed a small group into the front to participate in Easter Mass. We of course took advantage of the opportunity. While it wasn’t being led by the pope himself, it was still a very interesting experience to say the least.

After St. Peter’s we made our way to dinner, which ended up providing one of the more memorable experiences of the trip. The waiter asked if we wanted to get the “house specialty” for an antipasti. This consisted of various cured meats, cheeses, etc. and sounded good, so we decided to get it. Little did we know, however, what was in store for us.

As can be seen from the pictures, the cured meats portion was “do-it-yourself”. Carve whatever you like, the waiter instructed as he handed the knife and cutting board to me (it’s the man’s job he also said). Everything tasted great, and it definitely made for a unique meal.