A Roman holiday...

We arrived in Rome mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve happy to be here given a precarious 2-hour flight delay in Amsterdam due to high wind conditions (40+ mph).

We took the train into the city from the airport and arrived near St. Peter's Square where our hotel was located. We were very curious as to what the scene in the Square would be like at that hour and were pleased to see that the crowds that we imagined would be descending on the Square for Midnight Mass had not started to stake out their territory (this apparently isn't like the Tour de France!). So, we found our hotel just outside of the Square, which is a charming historic palace that housed cardinals and priests since the 15th century. We then ventured out to try our luck at finding a nearby restaurant that was open on Christmas Eve and again check on the scene in the Square. Feeling fairly confident that we didn't need to get there hours and hours in advance (and, badly in need of a shower and nap at that point from our travels), we got cleaned up back at the hotel and took an evening siesta because the jet lag was wearing on us. 

The traditional Midnight mass for Christmas Eve actually started at 9:30pm. We got to the Square about an hour early and, surprisingly, still no massive crowds had formed. We enjoyed the 82-foot Christmas tree that had been transported from Bavaria, Germany earlier this month and the official Vatican nativity scene (with the baby Jesus properly covered until after completion of the mass that night). K wanted to try his luck at actually getting into the Basilica for the mass, despite my protestations that advance tickets were required and at a premium. It was a no go though. Once it became clear to stubborn K that we weren't getting in, we headed back out to the main part of the Square in front of the Basilica to watch the mass that was being broadcast onto large screens located all around the Square. I have to admit that the experience was a bit anti-climactic for me...I was expecting wall to wall crowds with more of a festive atmosphere. I'm sure the fact that the mass was in another language largely contributed to it as well (with no translations offered on the televised screens), so we generally had no clue what was going on. Toward the end of the service though, the doors to the Church opened and streams of ministers came down into the Square to serve Communion. I pushed K toward the path where they were heading so that he could try to receive Communion, and thankfully I did because when I turned around I saw masses of people coming forward as well. Afterwards when he returned to our spot, he said he hadn't expected communion to be done "Italian style" - meaning chaos. That is what we have come to expect in Italy! All in all though, it was a special experience for us to be here for Christmas Eve, and another one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences (that we are rapidly accumulating) to be present for Pope Francis' first Christmas Eve mass.

K & m in St. Peter's Square on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Mass by Pope Francis televised to the crowds in the Square

Get ready for communion "Italian style!"

But, wait, the Christmas experience in Rome doesn't stop there! Unbeknownst to us, we emerged from our hotel on Christmas Day (after a leisurely morning sleeping in!) just in time for the procession of guards down Via della Conciliazione toward St. Peter's. And, they were bringing the people of Rome with them! So, we all congregated in the Square again; these were the crowds that I had been missing the previous night! At noon, the Pope emerged through the red curtains high atop St. Peter's Basilica to give his blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world). In contrast to the solemn atmosphere in the Square last night, he was well-received by the many cheers and claps from the crowd during his 15-minute appearance. 

Headed toward St. Peter's

Much more crowded today!

Papa Francesco! (AKA Pope Frank according to Bill Maher)

Then, it was time for our Christmas Day stroll through Rome to see many of the open-air sights around the city as most museums, buildings, etc. were closed due to the holiday. Our "stroll" took us all over the city, and turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the trip. 

We headed over to Piazza del Popolo, which features the northern city gate, an obelisk in the middle, and several churches on the exterior of the piazza. 
 

Piazza del Popolo

Yep, that's K riding the lion

We then took the stairs up to the gardens of Villa Borghese, which boasted stunning views of the city below. 

From there, we walked over to the area of the Spanish Steps, stopping first at the church at the top, Trinita dei Monti, then heading over to a quirky house nearby that was featured in our guidebook - Palazzetto Zuccari. It was a hidden gem that I loved - the exterior of the house was designed to form a monster's face. 

Open up and say "ah"!

From there, we descended the famous staircase that is divided by three landings and featured a Christmas tree and nativity scene for the holidays and opens up onto Via dei Condotti, which is lined with all of the fancy shops. 
 

Spanish Steps

I loved the Fendi Christmas tree made out of purses!

Then, it was time to check out the Trevi Fountain and toss in our coins to ensure our return to Rome. It's been 10 years since I've been to Rome, but hey, I guess my previous coin toss worked! 

We then found ourselves in the area of Piazza Venezia and made an unexpected stop over to Il Vittoriano, "the wedding cake building." Since we were in the area, we figured we might as well make our way over to the nearby Colosseum and Forum, particularly since the weather forecast for the next day (when we were planning to go) didn't look good. When in Rome! 

3-tiered wedding cake

K & m at the Colosseum

The Forum

By then, dusk had settled and we headed over to the Pantheon before making our final stop at Piazza Navona, which hosts a local Christmas market. 

The Pantheon

K & m at Piazza Navona

Christmas market at Piazza Navona

And, with that, we wrapped up a perfect Christmas Day in Rome!

We started out Boxing Day the same as the previous day - back at St. Peter's. This time we were visiting the Basilica. It was a rainy day, so it was a perfect day to be inside. We also made the trek up to the cupola, through very narrow and winding stairs, but were rewarded with great views of the city. 

The nave of St Peter's with the baldacchino over the high altar and sanctuary behind in the distance (over 100 meters away!)

Michelangelo's Pieta

The interior nativity scene (night view)

View down from the interior ring around the dome

Circular staircase at the top of the dome

East facing view of Rome from the dome

West-facing view of Vatican Gardens from the dome

After a late lunch, we made a last minute decision to head back to the Colosseum for an interior visit, despite the intermittent rain. We got there just in time before the ticket office closed and had just enough time for K's initial visit. We'll definitely be back for a tour of the underground and upper ring areas now that those areas have been opened for visitors. 

Lengthwise view of Colosseum

Opposite end view from ground level

 

From there, it was back to Villa Borghese; this time for the museum. Unfortunately, it wasn't my kind of art, so I was a bit underwhelmed overall. I did enjoy a few of Bernini's famous sculptures, David, Apollo and Daphne, and Rape of Persephone. 

We spent the morning of our final day in Rome (Friday, 12/27/13) at the Vatican Museum(s). K could easily spend a day there, but we only had two hours before we had to head to the airport, so it was definitely an abbreviated visit. It was a much different experience for me compared to my first time there during the summer many years ago. My main memory is that it was stifling hot inside and packed with people on a focused march to get to the Sistine Chapel, which is at the end of a long walk through other collections. This time it wasn't as crowded or hot, so I was able to take in some of the other artwork along the way. I was even pleasantly surprised to find a modern art collection featuring several of my favorite artists just prior to entering the Sistine Chapel.

And with that, we had to say ciao to Roma for now. But, remember, we tossed our coins into the Trevi Fountain so we'll be back! 

Now, onward to Turkey!