St Peter's, and Pantheon Redux

yesterday was pretty mellow. after breakfast, headed back via metro to Ottaviano station, and St Peter's Basilica. got there just after 8am--no line up, yay! got through security and headed in.

no words to describe the beauty, the weight of the place. how tiny i felt. even the photos i took do not do it justice.

as i wandered through St Peter's, i noticed my right hip starting to get sore. the more i walked, the more sore i got. so i favoured it--which made my left hip sore, too. so by the time i exited the basilica, i was a hobbling mess. ah, my weary aging bones. aint a spring chicken anymore, i guess.

i spent just over an hour and a half in the basilica. by the time i left (skipped the dome because i'm still afraid of heights--sorry tony, i couldnt do it!), there was a line growing, reaching almost to the far end of the square.

went back to the hotel & downloaded my pics. then headed out again--this time, to re-visit the Pantheon, which, so far, has been the most profoundly affecting place in Rome for me. i was also determined to find the Piazza Navona, come hell or high water. sore hips and sore feet be damned.

i carefully mapped out my route beforehand in my hotel room. as i headed out, it was just after 1230pm. as i neared the Pantheon, i noticed growing hoards of people. ah tourists--gotta love 'em. i followed the herd, and sure enough, quickly came up to the Pantheon (from a different street this time--i got the full frontal view, rather than approaching from behind and seeing a huge wall of stone).

wow. talk about standing room only. such a difference from the first time i was there. the other day, i was one of only 6 or so people in the church. it was dark, quiet, profound. dare i say, holy? this time--wall to wall people, chatter, flashbulbs from cameras, and a crying baby. as i dodged people and tried to take a few more photos, some fellow standing in the centre started singing. i wasn't sure whether to be pleased or cross. well, the acoustics in that place are pretty amazing, i must grant you.

wandered out, and followed the herd again. found Piazza Navona in no time. and quickly realized that i'd been here already! duh.

the other day, i had been there so early in the morning, that i didn't recognize the place. silly me, i had a picture in my head of a square filled with people sitting in cafes, and vendors selling purses, and artists selling art, and and and... and here it was, yes, just like that. but the other morning, i had blissfully wandered right through the then still-empty square. silly wabbit. and i suppose (to give myself the benefit of the doubt--yah right), i was also expecting to see the famous four rivers fountain--but the bottom half was covered in scaffolding, as much of Rome seems to be nowadays (i have several examples of famous monuments and statues undergoing facelifts, including the Spanish Steps, the VE Monument, etc.). ah well. at least i found it. success, albeit a bit sideways.

later in the afternoon, i visited several churches, including the Santa Maria Maggiore. i also stumbled across a street market, and bought some fruit from one of the vendors. the woman thanked me in japanese ("arigato")--i laughed and said, "bene", and thanked her in italian.

today: more churches. and taking photos of street scenes and piazzas. and visiting the national museum of rome.