Roma Terzo Giorno

So I totally messed up with our schedule. I thought it was May 10 when I looked the night before. (The Vatican events had my plans and brain all mixed up). We walked to the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. I scheduled this for today May 10th and luckily we did not need the pilgrim pass to enter the Holy Doors.

Short history:

“The basilica was built over the tomb of the Apostle Paul, who was beheaded under Nero around 64-67 AD. A small church was built on the site in 324, and then a larger basilica was constructed between 386 and 395.

The basilica was expanded under Emperors Valentinian II and Honorius before its consecration in 395. It was further embellished by various Popes throughout the centuries. 

The basilica became a major pilgrimage site, and it was damaged by earthquakes and fires, necessitating restoration efforts.

A devastating fire in 1823 almost destroyed the basilica, but it was rebuilt and reconsecrated in 1854, with significant contributions from foreign rulers.

Pope John XXIII’s visit and announcement of the Second Vatican Council in 1959 took place at this basilica.”

We toured the beautiful basilica and walked through our first set of Holy Doors. 

After we finished our tour, we were trying to figure out what our plans were for the rest of the day since we were wide open and we almost took an Uber to the catacombs since we were kind of close but we didn’t wanna walk three more miles before walking home. We stopped and got a coffee and I looked at our schedule more closely. I realized that it was May 9 and we were supposed to go through the Holy Doors of St Peter Basilica and tour the Vatican at 2:30 PM.

So we walked back to the Vatican! A funny thing happened on the way to the Vatican. 

As we entered Saint Peter’s Square. I saw news media cameras, scrambling, and I saw the Pope walking down the corridor. I cut through the same column that we cut through last night getting out of the square to get a better view, Paige followed me and we were yelled at by a police woman. I quickly squeezed back through but Paige got caught and was escorted out by the police. Of course I felt like a fool and of course Paige was very pissed off at me. I swear it was the Pope, but Paige did not see him lol. He did have his first Mass at 11 in Sistine Chapel so maybe it was after the Mass. At least we didn’t get arrested. 

We toured St Peter Basilica. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter’s_Basilica

I was so happy that I signed up with the Jubilee to walk through the doors bc they only allowed those who signed up to see Michelangelo’s Pieta up close. 

https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietà_vaticana

I don’t remember it being under glass. 

We were able to pray at the altar of Pope John Paul II where the remains of Pope John Paul II are located under the Altar of St. Sebastian. 

We also were able to see the Cappella SS Mo Sacramento. 

“Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, behind a Baroque wrought-iron grill designed by Francesco Borromini (1599-1667). The Blessed Sacrament is exposed here for the continuous adoration of the faithful. A notice reads: “Only those who wish to pray may enter”. The Eucharist is frequently celebrated in this chapel, with hymns and community prayers. In bygone ages, the faithful would pause in silent prayer and contemplation of Jesus, the living bread come down from heaven. This bread is the Body of the Lord for the life of the world. Whoever eats this bread will have eternal life. The decision to reserve this chapel for the Blessed Sacrament implied the greatest commitment to its decoration. This is why the faithful who admire its beauty and harmony feel encouraged to pray and to reflect here.”

We literally just made it on time for our Vatican museum tour at 2:30 and we had a very good tour guide, who was a professor at a local college, John Cabot.  After the tour we decided to walk up to the dome of Saint Peters Basilica, about 550 steps. It was definitely worth the walk up because we could see all of Rome. It is the highest point in all the city. 

Our day that we did not have a lot to do ended at about 5:30 PM. We headed back towards our room, stopped and had an Aperol spritz and then we stopped for dinner and a gelato.

We had the fourth pasta of the noted Roma pastas to eat. 

Side note on the cacio e Pepe pasta of Rome. 

The dish’s origins are linked to the transhumance practices of shepherds in central Italy, particularly in the Lazio region. Shepherds would travel with their flocks for long periods, needing easily portable and durable food.

The core of cacio e pepe is simple: pasta, pecorino cheese (a hard, sheep’s milk cheese), and black pepper. These ingredients were chosen for their shelf life and ability to be carried easily.

Anthony Bourdain’s exposure of Cacio e Pepe on his show, and his passionate descriptions, brought it to the attention of a wider audience, making it a well-known dish beyond its Italian origin. 2009

It was not a thing when we were here 18 years ago. 

I think Stanley Tucci made the others famous. All are on every menu. Marketing is the best! We are puppets lol. 

The past two days have been Camino days, we logged 12.5 miles and 14.5. I highly suggest wearing Altra Lone Peaks when touring Rome because each day is quite an urban hike! Most of the roads are uneven cobblestones and these shoes are great for the impact! 

I am looking forward to our free day today!