Distance from Sienna to Roma is 243 kms. The night of June 4, we drove towards Rome but we were still in the highway at 11pm, we knew it was too late to check-in at a campsite. Option always available to commuters is to park in an "aire"/rest area and stay overnight for free which is popularly known as free camping. That was what we did - we free camped for the night in an aire.
In another post, I will discuss more about aires or rest areas. It is a topic in itself.
Mar liked to drive when he wakes up while we were still asleep. That was nice, slowly waking up with Georgia's voice insistent and firm and the movement of the RV forcing us to wake up. Camping Roma was still close at 7am when we arrived so we parked outside the camp while waiting for them to allow us in. While waiting we had breakfast, we were allowed entry later, we took a bath and got dressed and were ready to conquer Rome and Vatican City by 830am.
Camping Roma fee for 1 night for 3 people Euros 38.00
Day Pass for 3 days Euros 7.00 per person bought at Camping Roma office
Bus stop was a few steps from the gate of Camping Roma. Our first stop was Vatican City. We wanted to go to the Vatican Museums first but the lines was a kilometer long in our estimate. It was almost unbelievable seeing that many people lined up on the streets, the line seemingly endless.
We gave up and decided to go to St. Peter's Basilica. Same thing, people were lined up in St. Peters Square or Piazza San Pietro. We canvassed the lines and got lucky. Maybe we cheated, only we know. We were inside the humongous church in no time at all. According to Wikipedia, this was the burial site of Apostle Peter, one of the 12 apostles. Attempting to describe this church is an exercise in futility. I think no words can accurately describe how opulent, grand, rich, enormous, superfluous this church is. Wiki also stated that this is the largest and seats 60,000 people inside the church. Experience was like "too much information", too much visual, too much grandiose.
This was second time here for Mar and I, first time was in 1998. First visit for Cha.
When we got back on the streets, it turned out that the line to the Vatican Museum was manageable. Entrance per person was Euros 13.00. Inside the museum, one should be wearing the most comfortable footwear to navigate the never-ending halls, corridors, stairwells, buildings-connected-to-another-building, seemed like several kilometers even just to reach the Sistene Chapel. Was it worth it? YES, oh yes!!. It was divine just to see the works of Michaelangelo alone. Again, suffice it to say, one has to see it to know the greatness of his art.
We were so tired, we had no more energy to see more galleries in this museum housing the greatest works of art of the greatest painters and sculptors ever lived. We definitely missed Leonardo da Vinci's works.
We met fellow Filipinos, Maria Cruix and her daugher but lost them in the maze of the Vatican Museums.
Day 2. Again, there was a line to go inside the Colosseum. I wanted Cha to see the playground of the Kings of the ancient Rome so I encouranged her to go inside the Colosseum. We have been there before so I was not longer interested.
We next walked the ruins which I think are called Fori Imperiali, Capitolium Square and Circus Maximus.
We were actually on a tight schedule because Cha's time in Europe was very limited and will go back to Surrey, BC on June 18, so everything was a whirlwind tour for all of us.
We decided to move on and drive 80 km. to Civitavecchia, Italy to enjoy the beach.
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