ungkler: Crossing Over to the Holy See

Vatican
Winter 2011

Two cities caught in a snap from the Cupola at the Vatican
(Jan-2011)

Journal Entry... Sun was up amidst the cold of winter that Tuesday morning. It was one fine day for a walk to Vatican City, a mere bridge away from Rome.

Crossing over
to Vatican City

25-jan: Bridge to Vatican city... Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II, the bridge on Tiber river to the Vatican, was two blocks away. At said bridge, one gets a direct link to the Vatican - the Holy See, the seat of Roman Catholic faith, the rock upon which the Basilica of San Pietro was built. The opportunity may not come to all, but in our case, it was literally "a bridge away" from the Rome apartment. It was a pilgrimage of sorts to walk down Rome's main avenue to cross the bridge to the Vatican.

Fountain in the square
at Piazza San Pietro

Skipped Bus 64 plying the Rome-Vatican route, which is said to be the runaway bus ridden by pickpockets during rush hour anyways. Vatican was walking distance from Via dei Leutari, in Rome, and we reached the huge square fronting the Basilica in no time - the Piazza San Pietro. Round in shape attributed to the play of Bernini's semi-elliptical collonades extending to both ends. Bernini's collonades is said to symbolize "arms embracing the faithfuls", as they arrive on a pilgrimage to the Holy See.

Photo-op with tourists
at the Vatican

Standing right there on Vatican grounds for the first time sent me goosebumps. (Still) there in the middle of the square was the Philippine-crafted Christmas Belen, post-Christmas. What pride it gave to see such a display that I instantly made a connection with on my first ever visit to the Vatican.
Only a few were early risers that winter morning. The cold outdoors may have convinced the rest to stay indoors for a little while. That uncrowded square made it worthwhile for photo-op. When two lady tourists (from Argentina) requested if I could take a photo of them in front of the Basilica from their camera; they did a "Jump High" pose, and were satisfied I caught it on camera. Hubby was amused, and he took a souvenir photo of all three of us ladies; part of one's travel experience is about meeting acquaintances along the way.

The Holy See, in black and white

Past the Vatican guards...

The uncrowded Vatican also meant a short line to enter the Basilica. Metal detectors screened every visitor, like in the airport. Things seemed to be running smoothly, until our turn. Hubby nudged me to go first, and I got cleared. On hubby's turn, the metal detector made the "beeping sound". Hubby, by instinct, searched his own self... and takes out a Swiss Army pocket knife from his jeans pocket with an apologetic look on his face; hubby keeps a pocket knife handy for safe travels.
xxxxx
Vatican guard (English translation): "PROHIBITED!"
Hubby (Italian translation): "DEPOSITO?"
Vatican guard reaches for the garbage can (English translation): "THROW IT!"
Hubby negotiates for the pocket knife (Italian translation): "DEPOSITO?"
Vatican guard shakes his head and holds up high the garbage can (English translation): "I SAID, THROW IT!"
xxxxx

Two Peas in Vatican

That exchange between hubby and the Vatican guard was comical, in a way. But the people lining up behind us were getting impatient by the second...
[Flashback to Shenzhen airport en route to Beijing (China), in 2005, where hubby had similarly forgotten he had his Swiss Army pocket knife kept inside his hand-carry backpack. The difference was, there was a depository at Shenzhen airport, where the hubby deposited his pocket knife for claiming when we returned to Shenzhen, while the Vatican only had a garbage can for prohibited items. Because hubby's pocket knife had more sentimental value, to him, hubby motioned for me to get back out.

A Filipino monk
at Vatican

So, you see, our visit to Vatican came in three parts. Our first Vatican visit was that morning...
After hubby told me to step back out of the line entering the Vatican, we returned to the apartment, in Rome, where hubby dropped off his precious metal in the (same) server bowl on the dining table... hoping "It" would not play with it and make it disappear as it did to the cellphone charger the other night. But, by the time we got back to the apartment, it was already lunch time. Hubby and I crossed the street to grab a quick meal in Campo de'Fiore-- a slice of pizza, and a Canoli for dessert. Then, we retraced our steps to the Vatican, and were back at the square that afternoon, ready to enter the Basilica di San Pietro sans hubby's pocket knife... which was the second part of our Vatican visit. What a calorie burner it was walking to and from the Vatican which was about a kilometer in distance, one-way.

Italian Renaissance interiors of St. Peter's Basilica, in Vatican

Kids rubbing
St. Peter's foot

Entering the Basilica door, one immediately sees religious sculptures and masterpieces mostly of Bernini and Michelangelo, as well as the Italian Renaissance interiors of the Basilica. Some sculptures visitors are free to hold, while others have been kept in glass cases, like Michelangelo's Pieta, to protect it, after someone had attacked it with a hammer damaging the Virgin's nose and fingers.

Michelangelo's Pieta

Over in one side was St. Peter's statue, his foot being rubbed or kissed by visiting faithfuls for a shower of blessings. At the cathedral nave was Bernini's Dove Window, and below it, the (original) throne chair of St. Peter made of wood and ivory. After saying a prayer, going up the Cupola (Basilica dome) was next in the agenda. Climb to the Cupola turned out not to be an easy feat. There were 540 steps, in total, up the Cupola. The elevator ride to the Cupola charged an extra fee, and even then, one is not exempt from hurdling those remaining 330 steps within the dome to the Cupola viewing deck.

Two Peas at the Cupola

Thanks to the cardio exercises I did at the gym, I made it to the Cupola sans elevator. Although, somewhere in between the Cupola and the final steps to the Cupola viewing deck, I nearly had a fainting spell were it not for the small window that gave me a breath of fresh air.
Hoorah, hubby and I made it up the Cupola! View from that Cupola viewing deck was breathtaking-- a sweeping vista of two Italian cities, Vatican and Rome, in a snap. Climbing a total of 540 steps to the Cupola was definitely worth it.

A view of two Italian cities-- Vatican and Rome

Golden Pass-- Audience with the Pope

And who would have expected that our first trip to the Vatican would lead us to an audience with Pope Benedict XVI? Thanks to the Filipino nun in the Cupola gift shop for the tip! She said the Pope, by tradition, gives a General Audience on a Wednesday, which, by luck, happened to be the very next day already. The Filipino nun guided us how to secure an admission ticket... which was to be the third part of our Vatican visit.

26-jan: Wednesday at the Vatican... Early morning of a Wednesday, hubby and I returned to the Vatican, yet still avoiding Bus 64. Walking is exercise for all the pasta and pizza carbs we've been eating in Rome.

Pope Benedict XVI's
2011 General Audience

I located the "Bronze Door" the Filipino nun had mentioned where to get admission tickets from. Instead, there was no bronze, but a green door to Prefettura della Casa Pontificia. Hubby ushered me to stand at the bottom of the steps, while I wondered to myself how I am going to ask for an admission ticket. A steel barrier at the bottom of the steps implied it was a "No Entry" zone. The lone Swiss guard, in his customary attire, stood guard by the door looking the other direction, and no one giving out admission tickets to the Pope's General Audience.

"Bronze Door"

I started to doubt if the "Green Door" is the same "Bronze Door" the Filipino nun in the Cupola gift shop was referring to. By the time, another Swiss guard came up to the green door and glanced my way, only to retreat back inside. Time was running, and I was agitated to the point of giving up. That Swiss guard reappeared, and walked down the steps, handing me two admission tickets, great!

This way to Sistine Chapel...

Holding a Golden Ticket, I was the happiest person right there at the bottom of the steps to the Bronze Door. Hubby and I rushed to the auditorium, which was filling-up by the minute...
Must I forget... Vatican is also home to the most secretly photographed work of art - Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. I did not have the brave heart to join the club, at the risk of getting thrown out for good by those strict Swiss Vatican guards. Trivia: Sistine Chapel is of particular relevance at every Papal conclave, when the college of cardinals convene to elect a new Pope which is held inside the confines of the chapel.