Amnesia In Rome
Posted on 03 October 2008 by Justin
At this point I am going to resist the urge to talk about playing frogger with Roman scooters, the immense joys of Italian wine, or the delightful (read: rank) smell of the city. I am sure many people write about these well know facts. Instead, I want to talk about how the Sistine Chapel is not in St. Peter’s Basilica.
This morning, Natalie was determined to arrive at the Vatican museum by 7:30 am The museum holds the Sistine Chapel and she possessed a fierce determination to beat the crowds to get a solid look at Michelangelo’s master work. Fighting our way of a jet lag induced coma (at 7:30. I know I know but we were tired) we quickly got ourselves together and headed out to circumnavigate the relentless Roman tourist mob.
As we walked into St. Peter’s Basillica, we were rather excited. Sure there were other people, but it appeared as if there was plenty of room to stand quietly and look up at the ceiling (this is what one does in the Sistine Chapel). Best of all, today they were not charging admission. Our immediate euphoria quickly dissipated as we wandered around the Basillica and came to the stunning realization that the Sistine Chapel is not a part of St. Peter’s Basillica. In fact, the Sistine Chapel is about half a mile North of the Basillica inside the walls of the Vatican. We were early. We were happy. We were in the wrong place. The real sad part here is that we knew that St. Peter’s Basicallica and the Vatican were in different locations before we set out that morning. Problematically, something about the dangerous cocktail of jet lag, excitement and classical architecture caused us both to suffer from temporary amnesia.
We eventually arrived at the Sistine Chapel and, unsurprisingly, there were crowds and we did have to pay an entrance fee. On the up side, the tourists did not completely swamp the chapel and we were able to spend a neck wrenching 45 minutes staring and the ceiling in awe and wonder. Not bad way to start the day.
Tags | Italy, urban exploration
Paulie=Jealous
I shall go there one day!
Yeah, you’re on the road!! I’m sure there will be many more instances of being in the wrong place at the right time, or the right place at the wrong time…part of being on the road!
Hey Natalie and Justin- I am soooo excited for both of you. I cannot fathom how amazing a trip like that would be. Thank you for creating this site so you can share this experience with everyone!
=)
Hey Christin (and all),
Thanks for being excited. I am hanging out with my mom today in Firenze (Florence) and we just saw David (the statue). This is a phenomenal opportunity and I am enjoying it. We have challenges but it’s all a part of the adventure.
Hey Travelers,
Wonderful, you made it to Roma. Even with all the “confusion”, you were still able to see what you wanted. I never got a chance to see the Sistine Chapel. But I did get a chance to hear Pope Benedict give mass on Sunday morning, by accident. Did you get a chance to check out Victoria Emmanuel II’s statue, it is breathtaking.
Please, please, write some more about Italy. I was there 2 years ago, and reading about it brings back good memories. I know you probably won’t make it, but you happen to find time, Cinque Terra is THE place to check out. Think about it.
Anyways, sounds like all is going well.
-From an avid reader
hey Guys!
You don’t know me, but I’m a good friend of Luna and Giada! Although I’m Canadian, I’ve had the pleasure of spending 28 days with them and their family in Italy. They’ve got a special place in my heart as I’m sure they do in yours! …. In a way, I feel like I’m part of their family too, which makes you guys family too I suppose!
Anyways, I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay with them in Bagnoli…I love it there too! I speak to Luna daily, and she’s told me that she enjoyed having all of you there! Who knows, one of these days you might see them on our side of the pond!
Enjoy the rest of your trip!
@Andrew Rockwell – Andrew, we enjoyed our time with Luna and Giada. They talked about you a bit and I gathered that you helped Luna improve her English. I know Natalie and I would be excited to see them in the States. Take care.