St. Peters
Today is a travel day as we are saying goodbye to Rome and moving south to Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast. We have one more item on our list to see before departing though, St. Peter’s Basilica. As we are not part of a tour, we don’t get the benefit of skipping the line snaking around the Square, but fortunately it moves fairly quickly. It also seems there is a custom here where if slowly back your way next to the front of the line like you are taking a picture and then swipe away at your phone like you are sending it to your buddy, you automatically inherit that spot and can avoid waiting. So much to learn.
Once inside, we first head to the dome. Although completed after his death, the dome was designed by Michelangelo so it completes the trifecta of his most famous works here. The pictures down aren’t great because of the safety screen in the way but, if you look close, you can tell it’s a loooong way up (we cheated and paid the extra 2 Euro for the elevator).
From there, 200 or so steps lead to the cupola. Not so hearty when it comes to small spaces, my fellow traveler opts to sit this one out, missing the combination of tiny circular staircases and narrow passageways where you contort your body to match the curve of the dome to pass through.
The top is the highest building in Rome and a great spot to take a few pictures.
Back on the ground, we enter the main part of the Basilica. It is enormous. Far bigger than any other church we have seen (and anyone who knows my intrepid companion knows we have seen quite a few). On virtually every surface there are artworks and, like the rest of the Vatican, it is impossible to absorb even a fraction of it. My eyes are soon glazing over, which is probably for the best as it is time to gather our things and head to the train station.
To get to Sorrento, we first need to get to Naples, where we will transfer to a local line that covers that short chunk of the coast. The first phase goes quite smoothly, even allowing for a light nap along the way.
We’re in for a bit of a surprise as we switch over to the Circumvesuviana though. The train looks like a prop from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air and there aren’t near enough seats for the hour and twenty minute ride.
We’re not sure exactly what Sorrento has in store for us. Over the years, we’ve become much more comfortable flying by the seat of our pants, and here, we managed to dig up a no name place to stay last night on the Internet. As we roll our bags through a warren of streets so narrow you could hold out your arms touch the walls on either side, we know we’re in for an adventure. Three floors up, above a restaurant and a gelato stand is home for the next four days.