The Papal Audience

This morning came early after going out last night for a while! But definitely well worth our adventure! We left our apartment at 7:15, went downstairs and got a quick cappuccino and a muffin before we headed out to the tram. Got Tram 8 to Largo Argentina and hopped the 40 Bus to Piazza San Pietro to watch the Papal Audience.

The Pope does a blessing every Sunday over the square, and speaks every Wednesday to people. He only does this when he is in town, obviously! When we made it to the square we were about the 30 people back waiting in line! Soon more and more people would come and join the long line.

There were brides and grooms dressed up at the front of the line waiting to get in. Supposedly for newly wed couples if they wear their gowns/tuxes again they get special seating at the audience and a blessing during the ceremony! Good excuse to wear a dress again I would say! Anyways enough about that...we finally got to go in about 8:30. They did a quick security check and we were off. People were running to get good seats. We had been told by friends who went last week to watch about where good places to sit were. Right at the edge of any aisle. To be honest I had no idea what we were going to get ourselves into by sitting there. What a treat it was! The pictures sure do tell all!

We sat and waited until about 10:45 in the heat when the Pope finally made it to the square! It really was exciting! So many people were cheering as he came across the square in his Pope-mobile! Because the weather was so nice today the car was open like a convertible and he was standing waving at people. He came right in front of where we were standing not only once but twice before making his way up to the alter. I am not sure that it is still called an alter when it is outside. You will see in pictures what I mean!

He opened with a prayer and then went into a reading. All of them were said in a multitude of languages! It was very cool to see. Then the ceremony went into a blessing over the people and any artifacts they brought! I will post pictures of those as well. We missed hearing this part though because Michelle, Kate's friend who came along with us was not feeling well sitting in the heat for that long, so we were getting water out of the fountains and sitting in some shade. Not to be worried though, the rosaries did get blessed! After that, in all of the different languages again, the Cardinals read and gave introductions to all of the groups that were there. Ironically the group sitting next to us was from Billings! What a small world!

Soon the ceremony was over and we hustled back to Trastevere to get some food in us and get out of the shade! It was back for naps, and then dinner! What a great day!

Blessings to you all back home!

Making our way to the line.

Swiss Guards!

View from our seats! 

Bored waiting so lets take pictures of the Rosaries! 

He must be coming...

Around the corner....

Right in front of us...

There he goes...

And back around one more time! So cool! 

So good to see you! 

Up to the alter and driving the Pope Mobile down the steps! 

Afterwards! 

Bliss!! 

Getting My Tickets At the Vatican To See Pope Ben

So yesterday after class, Michelle, Kate's friend who is visiting, and I went on an adventure to get tickets to go see the Pope for today's Papal Audience. We ended up getting on the wrong bus and going to the outskirts of Roma more or less! There will be a picture!

We worked our way back to the Vatican City and finally found what we needed! Walking into the square and standing in a short line and going through security we finally got inside to get the tickets. They are only available at the Bronze doors from those lovely Swiss guards!

Got my tickets and we headed back to Trastevere. Then made some dinner and headed out on the picture adventure that sort of failed!

Check 'em out!!

On my way to get tickets!! 

Only one person from each party is allowed at a time up to the Bronze doors!

Waiting my turn! 

Love standing there waiting my turn! 

Oh those Swiss Guards just get ya every time! 

He's getting my tickets now! 

Official ticket holder! 

Holy water fountain! 

Yes, I did drink the Holy Water! 

Doors of the Jubliee...they only open every 100  years I think it is, but the next time is 2025. If you walk through them when they are opened all sins are forgiven! Guess I better start saving now for my next trip back! Hope it will be before then though! 

Some neat lighting in the Basilica

Walking up for the evening prayer service. 

Inside the treasury. Every time we go to the Basilica we find something new! 

Hope some of you got your postcards from here! 

Thanks for sending these Mom! Did my last loads of laundry with these since we ran  out of soap just the other day! 

Inside the Ducati Cafe! 

Tickets! 

A Failed Picture Adventure At Dusk In Roma

After dinner Monday night with Leigh, Michelle, Kate, Kirsten, me and David at our favorite restaurant in Trastevere. 

The night market on the river. 

The Wedding Cake! 

Near the Colosseum!

Colosseum at sunset! I couldn't resist taking pictures in this light! It was perfect! 

At the Vittorio monument! 

Well finals finished up pretty well! Finally glad to be done with long days of class! The heat and tourists have hit Roma this week. It's unreal how many more people are at all of the monuments! In the past few days, more so just last night we wandered around trying to take advantage of the sun light at dusk to get some great pictures and sort of failed.

David, a friend of mine that is here visiting, and leaving tomorrow wanted to do some more site seeing. We tried to climb to the top of the Wedding Cake monument (Vittorio Emanauelle's monument) where the view overlooks the Roman Forum. After climbing up about a thousand stairs. Ok not quite, but close! We got up half way and found the gates to be locked! So we snapped some pictures and headed towards the Colosseum. The lighting here was gorgeous. Oh, before we headed to the Colosseum we were going to walk up and see the tomb of the unknown soldier. But those gates were locked.

We got to the Colosseum snapped a few pictures and headed back to the apartment for dinner. By the time we made it back everyone was ready to go out for the evening! Yet another fun night for David's birthday out on the town! Not a bad way to spend your birthday I would say!

Enjoy the few that we took!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

It's been a crazy busy week! I feel like I have totally neglected writing on here and posting pictures! I have been busy wrapping up with classes and entertaining some friends that are in town from home! We have been taking lots of pictures though!!

Today was somewhat of another new adventure! We got up really early to head down to the market. It's called Porta Portese market right behind my apartment, and one of the largest open air markets in all of Rome. If any of you make it to Rome I would definitely recommend seeing it! It was an early morning, 6:15 was when we left my flat. Grabbed a cappuccino from downstairs and headed out shopping.

We all got some goodies down there! Bartering with the vendors is way fun! And there is pretty much everything you could imagine! After wandering the market I met up with Kate her friend Michelle to go on our Ancient Rome Walking Tour.

It was a gorgeous day out today! One that started out a little bit cloudy and even sprinkled some rain on us at the market. That changed real fast! My shoulders are good and rosy after our walk! We met the tour guide in Piazza Navona and started going from there! We wound through lots of little streets to the Pantheon then the Trevi fountain and finally through the Roman Forum and ended at the Colosseum! What a cool building!!

I will be busy the next two days finishing up my classes! Then its off to see the Pope Wednesday for Mass and Thursday will be here before we know it! And goodbyes to new friends are on the horizon, but we are all off to great adventures after Rome so it will be fun to keep in touch!

Ciao for tonight!

Small restaurant in Trastevere where we all went to eat! 

Kate Lexi and me down at the river festival!

The girls wanted to get Chinese the other day! Sweet and Sour Chicken  was pretty good! 

Stumbled across a music video or something being shot the other day on my walk home going past the Spanish steps! It was pretty fun to watch! 

This is on my walk home! 

The Pantheon from today's tour! 

We couldn't go inside because there was Mass going on! 

Chestnuts being roasted near the Trevi fountain! 

A pretty little street! 

Piazza of the Apostles. There are 13 statues at this building that was originally where Michael Angelo was built! 12 for the Apostles and 1 for Jesus. 

The wedding cake! Hoping to make it up there this week to the top! 

Heading into the Forum! 

Caesar in front of his forum! 

This fruit looked delicious on the hot sunny day we had! 

Full tourist in the Forum with the headset and everything! 

The Forum

Where Caesar was burned, if I remember right. The tour guide told us today that she is never really sure about how the flowers get there because she never sees anyone carrying them! Kind of interesting! 

There it is! 

It's so tall! 

In front of the arch! 

The stage is at the back of this! 

The Romans were short and stubby people with awesome thighs because their stairs go straight up! 

A RR for a wedding somewhere in the monument! 

Little bit of some sun after today!!