Monday - Welcome to Rome

Sleep had come quickly last night, and before we knew it the sun was rising. In the middle of the night a low roar could be heard, but we did not get up to investigate. However, when we opened the balcony doors it became obvious what had made the noise. Almost all the fishing boats with their nets ready had returned to the Mediterranean Sea to capture the treasures it offers.

The two remaining ships got underway as we went downstairs for breakfast. Hotel Tiber offered a wonderful breakfast which we enjoyed – especially the wild cherry pastry on the sweets table.

Tracking our group’s flight from Raleigh, it was time to head to the airport. The hotel shuttle dropped us off a short walk from Terminal 3, which allowed Tom to escape being attacked by the taxi automatic gate for a second time. The airport was extremely busy with people waving greeting signs at zombie travelers which had cleared customs after a night of flying. We were to rendezvous with our tour guide, Fabricio, but had no idea what he looked like and saw no Peter’s Way sign to identify him. A quick WhatsApp selfie and our location to Fabricio, and within minutes he introduced himself and showed us the way to a coffee shop where we could wait for the group. (Selfies are tough with short arms)

The question of would the Raleigh Pilgrims be as lucky clearing Rome’s Passport Control and EES as we had been in Zurich the day before… Our question was quickly answered – NO! After a 2-hour ordeal, everyone had cleared EES and gathered their bags. It was a long wait, but it did allow us to get to know each other. Folks were tired and hungry after their overnight flight and exhausted from their Italian customs experience. Fabricio herded us into a cluster and got us to our awaiting bus, while Father Jason and Jim counted to ensure we all made it. We headed off to downtown Rome which is about a 45 minute drive from the airport.

As most people know the Vatican City has an extensive underground infrastructure. However, we were shocked to learn that right outside the walls of the Holy City, a bus can descend deep into the earth and find the rarest thing in Rome… A parking place. The lot was HUGE and appeared to be able to park hundreds of buses. We ascended out of the tunnel to a busy street in the shadow of the Vatican and then all scattered to one of the many restaurants available.

After lunch it was time to head to the hotel, which was a short bus ride away. Fabricio had organized our check-in process like a well-oiled machine. The bus had gone to the hotel and had our bags unloaded and sent to our rooms while we enjoyed lunch. The keys were waiting upon our arrival and had been labeled with our names ready to be handed out. Voilà, we were now guests of Hotel Cardinal! The hotel was in a quiet neighborhood about a 20-minute walk from Vatican City. By all appearances, it was set up to welcome tour groups, and in the following days that proved to be true. We would have all of our breakfasts and dinners at the hotel during our visit. The food was adequate but did not meet the quality level that is regularly associated with Italy. The rooms were spacious, the beds were comfortable, and the showers had plenty of hot water. Although, during our 4-night stay in Rome some folks did lose water. We were lucky and always had plenty of water and pressure in our room.

The one thing about the hotel that stood out was the magnificent view from the rooftop patio. In the coming days, the patio became our meeting place for evening prayers before dinner. There was always a chill on the rooftop, but the fellowship of the group gathering together in prayer warmed our hearts.

Many of the travelers took advantage of the few free hours before dinner to unwind and unpack after their overnight flight, but we were ready to go explore. In Janet’s preparation, she had noted to go check out Galleria Sciarra. So off we headed to see this covered walkway, which provides a gateway to some of the must-see locations in Rome. Our walk took us past the Vatican to meander through busy and quiet streets on the way to the Galleria.

The structure is an excellent example of Roman Art Nouveau, and the craftmanship was just overwhelming in both detail and grandeur. Galleria Sciarra’s motif pays homage to women on the wall as it climbs to a glass ceiling. One just stands looking up in amazement of the detail.

When we exited the galleria, a low roar could be heard coming from around the corner. Following the rumble, we rounded the corner to find Trevi Fountain and hordes of people taking selfies and pushing to get closer to the sculptural masterpiece.

The fountain dates to the 18th century and was completed not long before the American Revolution. Once again, craftmanship and beauty of this sculpted work of art makes one stand in awe. A mental flashback of Frank Sinatra’s wispy baritone voice singing the theme song "Three Coins in the Fountain" drowned out all the crowd noise as we stared at the fountain.

And as the adage goes, “When in Rome…” Thanks to another tourist who snapped a shot for us, we too captured ourselves standing in front of this iconic work of art.

After wandering around the surrounding blocks taking in the sights, we realized that we would not be able to walk back to the hotel and be on time for our first dinner. So now with a little spring in our step, our goal was to walk to a major street and hail a taxi. Along the way we passed through another galleria. Also beautiful, this galleria was lined with stores and restaurants.

Our taxi ride back was noneventful, but extremely expensive in heavy traffic. The ride was almost 30 Euros for a 3-mile trip. A little steep, but in the long run the ride was worth every step not taken. Upon our return to Hotel Cardinal, we had moments for a quick clean up before evening prayers on the rooftop with our fellow pilgrims before our meal. The dinner gave us the opportunity to get to know each other by sharing stories and travels. The time seemed to fly by, and when we finally left the dining room most headed to their rooms to call it a night. We encountered so many nice people within our group and on the streets of Rome, making the day a memorable one. Tomorrow will come early, and the plan-of-the-day has us downstairs for breakfast and loaded on bus before 8 o’clock. The plan has us participating in the Celebration of Mass in a once in a lifetime chapel! Better gets some sleep - Good Night 😊

"Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary."   St. Francis of Assisi

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