June 24

 Woke up at 5:30am to our first light rain of the trip.  Got on the Metro at 6:30am for a ride to St. Peter's Basilica.  We wanted to get there early before the line got too long - and we were just in time.  We waited about 20 minutes to get in but by the time we entered the line was at least 3 times longer than when we started!!  Of course the Basilica is amazing, considered the largest church in the world.  It was designed to make a statement and send a message - and it accomplished both.  The place is enormous and beautiful.  Unfortunately the main alter was completely covered for refurbishing, as was Michelangelo's La Pieta.


The Swiss Guard


A dome in one transept

The central nave of the Basilica.  It is 624 feet long and 150 feet tall.

A dome in another transept.

Michelangelo's famous dome

The Holy Door which only opens once every 25 years.  Next opening in 2025.

2025 is the Jubilee Year - a Holy Year for Rome and the Catholic church so many structures (including many of the fountains we visited) in Vatican City and in Rome are currently being refurbished.  That's kind of a bummer for those currently visiting the city but there is still plenty to see and do.

After our tour of the Basilica we took a Rick Steve's walking tour of Rome.  It wound through many different neighborhoods of Rome and was very informative.  

One of the stops was at the Pantheon.  Across from the Pantheon is a famous coffee shop called La Casa Del Caffe that apparently was the inspiration for starting the Starbucks company.  I went inside and ordered a Granita Caffe con panna - which essentially is a cup with cream at the bottom, frozen coffee slush in the middle, and then topped with cream again.  So good.

Granita Caffe con Panna

  We finished the day at the Spanish Steps and then had lunch at a cafe.  Brian had Cacio e Pepe and I had Carbonara pasta.  


The Spanish Steps

We have to get out of Rome before we double in size!!  So much good food.

Comments

  1. BobbieJune 25, 2024 at 5:23 AM

    Great pics! You should enjoy the food after all the riding you’ve done and are going to do 😉

    ReplyDelete
  2. BobbieJune 25, 2024 at 11:57 AM

    Are you still in Rome? Check out the Cappucin Crypt…

    ReplyDelete

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