Rome In Two Days

The Eternal Roma - Day 2

We started early again after a sumptuous breakfast from Hotel Gea. The check-out time was 10 Am, so we checked out before leaving for sightseeing; they agreed to take care of our luggage's till the afternoon.

We had plans to visit St. Peter's Basilica, The Vatican Museums and Castel Sant'Angelo before 3 pm; however, we were short of time to visit Castel Sant'Angelo.

St. Peter's Basilica

The morning sun was bright when we reached there. The basilica was not open and we had plentiful time to roam around. Every prominent dome in Rome excited us, reminding the St. Peter's on the day before. The sheer magnitude and vast space captured our minds. It was uncrowded and looked crisp — the fountains were shimmering in the morning sun.

At the opening time, crowds formed out of nowhere. After a short security check, we were welcomed by the stern-looking yet vibrantly dressed papal guards. There is a dress code for the basilica — no mini-skirts or open shoulders; modest dressing is expected. We took an audio guide, which was not very useful. For the audio guides, we had to submit our photo id, which could be retrieved after returning the instrument.

Unfortunately, we could not climb the basilica to enjoy the sumptuous view.

The paintings and sculptures were a visual treat. However, the chaos and the crowd made the whole experience average. One would be completely lost without a guide. The online tickets for the guided tours were sold out by the time we tried to book it.

The Mary and Jesus at the altar was simply immaculate. The museum inside the basilica for ten euros is a complete value for money. The royal robes with precious stones and the intricate jewelry were gorgeous.

The Vatican Museums

We rushed to the museum as we had only a couple of hours for our train. There was a very long queue but we escaped as we booked our tickets online here. We started enthusiastically starting with the viking ships and ancient ships from across the world. The courtyard was lush green and we enjoyed a walk around it. I think we met almost people from every race in the world. The cacophony of different languages buzzed in our ears. The large golden sphere was the centre of activities with cameras shooting it from every angle.

It was statues and more statues for a while. It was like a dreamland with statues and paintings. The information was too much to digest. By the time we reached Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, we were too tired to appreciate the extravaganza.

There were many shops and kiosks selling books, tablets of paintings, jewelry, etc., throughout the museum. We were late already and after what it took like an eternity through the exit paths, we were out. We had to run (literally) to catch our train.

After a quick lunch at the restaurant Il Barocco, where the staffs were very helpful, we checked out from our hotel and again ran to the Termini station. Termini station was abuzz with people and shops. Our train was yet to arrive, when we reached there. After a slight confusion in finding the coach, we settled in our seats. We had booked first class tickets from TrenItalaia; the first class compartments were mostly free, occupied only here and there. For a true local experience, second class is the way to go. The seats were very comfortable and in a way we appreciated our solitary time.

The route was very scenic after mid-way till which it was quite dry and made us nostalgic of the Chennai - Coimbatore route, which we have extensively used. Once the route began near the coastline, it became beautiful and lush.