The Vatican - the last day in Rome

July 12, 2011

Excited for the last day in Rome! Lots of plans – but breakfast first.  Had to face the day right.  Then a  little vendor shopping.  Rome had the best vendors out of all the cities I had been to. They had so much awesome stuff, so I had to hit it up before I left.  Then a trek to find Victor and pick up my bag, but it turned out to be an unsuccessful trip.  Note about Vodaphone…. They have terrible cell service. 

Of course the last day that we were in Italy, we had finally figured out how to see the sights successfully.  We had reservations for the Vatican, and we got in past the huge lines like VIPs.  It was awesome.  The Vatican was confusing and packed.  But we ended up seeing the important things – the Sistine Chapel and various displays.  On the way out, we found the Vatican Post.  So I bought 2 postcards and mailed them to the addresses I could think of off the top of my head – Grandpa and Mom. I also discovered that my handwriting had temporarily changed from not writing much for 2 months.  It was weird.

Mosaic Flooring

Sala Rotunda

Sistine Chapel

schweet chair

Exit Spiral

SO fun!

3 o’clock and we were starved.  We wandered off the beaten tourist path and found this really nice restaurant, even better since we were the only people there.  A little prosciutto and cantaloupe for an appetizer, white house wine and pasta for lunch.  I’m really going to miss those lovely lunches.  Restaurants are all about presentation, even if it is not super pricey.  It is something that they take pride in, something that I think I will take back to the U.S. 

Centerpiece

my last pasta dish...... mmmm

We headed back down to Trastavere to pick up my bag, and were finally successful.  The bus ride back to Roma Termini was exciting though.  It was about 90 degrees outside and in the busses, hotter than that, as people were packed in like Sardines with no air conditioning.  It was worse than a sauna.  Almost back, and two people fainted on the bus, so it stopped.  Susan and I got off and booked it back to pick up our bags and get on the Leonardo Express for the airport.  Also, on the last day, we figured out that that particular train always left from the same area – a bin almost a mile down the track from the station.  Rome airport had us successfully checking in and buying our Italian wine for home in GoodBuy Roma.  Four bottles gets heavy when you are carrying them around in your backpack.  But I think those who receive them will appreciate them.

Our flight was typically late, so we ended up getting into Madrid around 1:30 AM, an hour and half after the hotel shuttle stopped running.  12 euros spent on a taxi, and then the two of us girls tried to figure out how to turn on the lights in our room.  After 5 minutes of trying and a visit to the front desk, a couple floors below, we discovered how to do it: you gotta put your room key in a slot to allow the lights to turn on.  I should have remembered that from Barcelona, but thinking clearly after midnight is a difficult task for me.  It was all good though – sleep happened that night.

Last time seeing that for awhile...

um, gross?