Goog morning Roma
I planned to make sure that I had a substantial lunch because I knew I would be missing out on dinner, I knew I would be lining up to get into St. Peter's Basilica at dinner time so I found a trattoria and ordered pasta and a glass of wine, the woman understood my Italian when I ordered and when she put the bread with almost a clove of garlic smashed all over it I asked how much it was and she replied that the bread was free. All good. Until I started eating and the pasta was just okay and I'm sure the wine was watered down. Regardless I soldiered on knowing I wouldn't be eating dinner. Then, when the bill arrived, 2 euro for the garlic bread. Bastards!!! I ended up paying for it, I just make a note to never go back. I rarely go back to anywhere anyway, I like to try different places.
I came back to my room and tried to have a snooze, useless idea. I can never snooze. So got ready and thought I would take a walk then go and line up. Lucky I left early because as I was walking I saw a line and asked if it was the line for the service and YES IT WAS!!! This was at 4pm. The gates opened at 7.30 for a 9.30 start for Christ sake!!
Standing in line I started talking to the lady next to me, she was from America and was travelling with her daughter and son-in-law who were off somewhere looking for food. We chatted for ages, with one nun who was in front of us joining in occasionally - I think my Australian accent makes them prick up their ears and they all ask where I am from, when I say Australia they are quite impressed because it is so far away. It's nice that the distance is appreciated because sitting on the plane that long is a pain in the arse!
After a couple of hours the sun had gone down and it was cold. People (Italian People) started pushing in the line, one man with an English accent kept trying to tell them to piss off and go to the back of the line - which was so far back we couldn't see the end of the line. Italians are arseholes. They pretend they don't understand you when you know full well they do. THEN I saw a black chick decide that she was going to cut the line and stand beside me. No she wasn't. I told her in clear Italian where the line ended and that she needed to go there because we had bee waiting almost three hours. She then started pulling faces like she was in pain and tell me 'sono male, sono male' (I'm not well, I'm not well). Wrong person to tell that to! Biggest germophobe going, so I made it clear that I didn't care if she wasn't well, that she needed to go to the end of the line - after a few minutes she went about five people back. Italians are bastards.
The line started moving early, I think the police were sick of trying to control the mob. I went through security and walked across the piazza and into the basilica. My guide from the Vatican Tour told me where to try to get a seat and I got there, all but one away from the passageway, there was an nun sitting next to the passageway, so I was happy.
Then we waited, and waited and waited. Two hours. But at least it was inside. It was still cold though. But we were inside, and able to just sit and check it all out. It is amazing inside the basilica. It is absolutely huge but all the art work and sculptures are obviously in proportion because everything looks like it's in the right place.
After a couple of hours things started to happen. A procession of priests then after a while the Pope walked in followed by a heap of other priests. That was the last of saw of him for an hour or so. Luckily I was surrounded by nuns so knew when I had to stand, sit, be quiet etc. Then at the end the Pope walked back down the long passageway carrying a baby doll to represent baby jesus, then I think some other priest put the doll in the manger that was set up in the nativity scene, I couldn't see, all I could see was nuns. Everywhere. And man were they pushy. They had their phones out take photos during the service then at the end they were all pushed up against the banister of the passageway with their phones out, I couldn't see a freaking thing. As one stage I said "per favour sorella!" and they are as good at ignoring as the Italian bastards! I turned around to watch the Pope walk past to go to the nativity scene and there were nuns all standing on the chairs behind me! Then walking out I got poked and pushed by bloody nuns trying to get out of the basilica. They are ruthless!
I walked out and walked home, my B & B is just around the corner so I was home by midnight. Maybe that's why people call it midnight mass, because you're home by midnight?????
I got home and rang Mick, spoke for a minute to Koby, had a quick shower and went to bed. Not sure if that side of the bed is better or not ... when you get into bed you just sink into it. It is so soft that it is hard to turn over in bed.
I woke around 8 this morning and rang home, spoke to Mum for Christmas, then the B & B lady was knocking on my door with breakfast. I inhaled that, got dressed and decided to get the bus to termini because I had made plans to meet an American chick off an Expats in Italy page of facebook. Well! What serendipity! I opened the door and heard a drum beating a beat and saw the polizia had blocked off the intersection out the front. I decided to go and see what that was about, and am glad I did because the next thing there were groups of men dressed in different uniforms marching to the beat towards the city wall. I followed and they went through the arches of the city wall turned right and marched into St. Peter's square. Obviously a procession for Christmas Day message from the Pope. I wasn't meant to be going that way but couldn't help follow them they were like the pied piper! Then after a couple of blocks the crowd of people got thicker and thicker and I decided to turn around and go and get the bus to termini.
I was meant to meet the AMerican chick at 1, I waited til 1.15 and she hadn't turned up so I walked across a couple of roads to Eatily - overrated supermarket of Italian food. When I walked out I could see the building at Piazza Venezia so decided to walk towards that. 99% of the shops and restaurants were closed for the day and I just meandered along. There were no busses running at this time, they had a break from1pm to 4.30pm for Christmas Day, so meandering was the choice of transport. I meandered past a small restaurant, went in, ordered ravioli which was delish and then tiramisu for pudding and then kept meandering. I meandered for a couple of hours to get back to Vatican, it was no big bother and quite a nice day for meandering.
I arrived back at my room around 4pm, messaged the American chick who told me that she thought because the buses weren't running between 1 and 4.30 we weren't meeting. What???? Who cares. I think my lunch of ravioli was much better than her suggestion of a panino! And I didn't have to make conversation. Bonus!
While I was at termini I booked my train ticket for Friday to Venezia. I had to pay extra to travel in business so I could have my ridiculously big case with me instead of leaving it where I can't see it and hoping no one knocks it off. I'm leaving Rome at 9.50 on the fast train and get into Venice around 1.30pm, just in time to get ridiculously lost trying to find my monastery and check in and then go and find somewhere to drink wine. I wanted to post some stuff home before I leave Rome but I don't know if the post office will be open. There is a post office in the Vatican City, I will have a look there Thursday and hopefully they will be open so I can send stuff home before I go to Venice.
Otherwise, I will be carting crap to Venice with me, exactly what I am trying to avoid.
Tomorrow I have nothing planned. I am going to go for a walk and find the Spanish Steps and Piazza Popolo - I've been before but I've enjoyed returning to these places, seeing them a second or third time. Wednesday I am going to Naples, I forgot it was Papa's service Wednesday mornings, but I don't think anything beats last night, and I haven't been to Naples so that should be fun!
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