Avoiding queues in Rome

A week before Easter we returned to Rome to begin the next stage of our slow journey home.  We had planned a week here, before going on to Naples and eventually to Sicily, a region of Italy that almost every Italian we've ever met has directed us to visit, so we dare not ignore this advice.

But first to Rome.  We decided not to try and do it all as we've been to Rome in the past.  Instead we had only one must-see on our sightseeing list - the Sistine Chapel, as neither of us had managed to organise a visit there on previous trips.  

On our first day we wandered along the Tiber from Trastevere to the Vatican.  The six deep queue encircling the enormous piazza in front of St Peter's stopped us in our tracks.  We quickly abandoned plans to pop in for a quick visit.  On we walked to the Vatican Museums.  But there we found that the queues were even longer. We had been under the misapprehension that we were visiting Rome in the "off season", but in Rome there really isn't a quiet time to see the most spectacular sights.  So we made a plan to avoid the queues.

Beating the queues.  7.30am at St Peters.

St Peter's opens from 7am to 7pm everyday from April until September.  So later in the week, on a chilly, but beautifully sunny morning, we got up early and arrived there just after 7.30am.  After a five minute wait we proceeded through security and walked straight into the magnificent basilica.

We discovered that this is when the real church business happens.  All the small chapels and side altars were occupied.  Mass was being said in so many different languages that we lost count of them.  Not only were there groups of pilgrims from around the world, but there were also well-dressed Italian families attending anniversary Masses to remember their deceased family members.  And there was the touching sight of an elderly priest celebrating Mass alone, until a young nun stepped up to ask if she could join him in prayer.  

Meanwhile in the centre of the cathedral the cleaners were hard at work polishing and preparing the altar for Holy Week.

By 9am the cranes and cleaners had packed up, the groups of pilgrims had finished their prayers and the ropes cordoning off the side chapels, and Michaelangelo's Pieta, had been taken down.  As we left the basilica, the quiet hush of the business part of the day was coming to a close.

Outside we saw that a long queue had already formed and was snaking halfway round the piazza.  Feeling hungry as we'd skipped breakfast, we then congratulated ourselves with a cappuccino and a cornetto crema in a nearby bar, following one of the healthy eating rules taught to Italian children - remember, sweets only for breakfast.  

Then it was off to see the Sistine Chapel where beating the queues was even easier.  

Rather than stand out in the sun for three or four hours, we simply booked on line. The ticket allows entry at a specified time so there's no need to queue.   CLICK HERE for more information.

As we walked past block after block of people waiting, we were puzzled as to why so few took the online option.  Hard copies of tickets are not necessary, so a screenshot on the ipad with the barcode of the receipt was all that we needed to show before we were issued tickets at the empty counter.  It was only 4 euros extra for each ticket to 'skip the queues', and in our opinion, it was the best value of anything we did in Rome.  

Inside the Vatican Museum there is no way to beat the queue to see the Sistine Chapel, but as individual visitors we wove our way through the tour groups and eventually joined the throng milling about in the chapel.  It was much larger and brighter than either of us expected.  Spectacular and well worth visiting, but no pictures to see here as they are forbidden, although that didn't stop others from clicking away, and then being hounded by security.

The rest of the Vatican Museum was also memorable.  It would be very easy to spend a day there and not see everything.  After a long day of sightseeing I had only one thing on my mind when we left the Vatican.  Gelato, of course.

Our apartment was conveniently located just down the street from Fior di Luna, one of the best gelaterias in Rome.  From behind freshly whipped tubs of delicious looking gelato, Luca explained why they only serve their gelato in cups.

Fior di Luna produce their gelato without any additives.  It has a dense texture due to the lower ratio of air whipped into the milk during production so the soft consistency makes it unsuitable for scooping into a cone.  Plus, Luca added, a cone would detract from the pure flavour of the gelato.

Taste test summary
On Luca's recommendation I chose the flavour of the day, Duetto.  It was a combination of pistachio and hazelnuts with a thread of chocolate swirled through the gelato.  For my second scoop I had to try their version of Nocciola as it has become my standard.  Both scoops were studded with nuts.  I love any gelato with an added crunch of nuts, and the crisp shards of chocolate, well that was just "icing on the gelato"!  Although the flavours were strong it wasn't an overly rich gelato.  I prefer my gelato not too creamy, so while dense in flavour and texture it didn't have a 'fatty' feel in the mouth. But I did miss the experience of eating from a cone.

Gelati ranking *****
Very, very, very good.   I'm sounding very professional these days, don't you think?  Must be my two years of practice.

Fior di Luna is a tiny shop which you could easily walk past in the early afternoon, but by 4pm it's easy to find.  Just join the end of the queue. Yes, the queue will be out the door, though the wait will not be nearly so long as for St Peter's or the Vatican Museums.  Or you can skip the queue by visiting between 2 and 4pm in the afternoon when most Romans are recovering from lunch.  

Fior di Luna
via della Lungarina, 96
Trastevere, Roma
Open from 11.30am till midnight in the summer.

Più avventure romane a venire.  

Day trips from Chalford - Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford

Misty morning in Chalford. Just one street for cars and lots of paths once used by donkeys.

Chalford is a village in the Stroud district of the Cotswolds. From medieval times until the late 19th century it was a wool milling and weaving centre.  The village, of small stone cottages that once belonged to the mill workers and weavers, is perched along one side of a steep valley.  Today Chalford's layout is largely unchanged.  The houses bordering the very narrow road that runs through the lower part of the town have car access but for most of the restored cottages, the only access is from the old "donkey tracks" which zigzag up the hillside, making the village a peaceful spot as it's almost free of traffic.

Green Court, once the Mill owner's house.

 On the top of the small hill at the end of the village road was the mill owner's house, "Green Court" and attached to the house was the weaver's workshop.

The upstairs apartment at the back of Green Court is the Weaver's Loft.

"Green Court" has been renovated by the Simpson family who live in the grand front house, while the Weaver's Loft, where we stayed for a little over a week, is a spacious apartment in the upstairs rear wing.  Built from stone with the old single glazed windows still in place, the Weaver's Loft was a little draughty at times, but completely charming.  An old wood-stove provides most of the heating.  Stefano has now sworn off ever having a wood fire as it needed constant feeding, but once it got going, it generated a cosy warmth.

Lovely fire burning bright at the end of a damp, chilly day in Oxford.

Bath
Chalford proved to be an excellent base for several 'literary' day trips.  It was a freezing day when we stopped in Bath and although the weather was bleak, the city's unmistakable beauty still shone.

Backstreets of Bath

Georgian homes circling the famous Circus in Bath.

Through the light mist we imagined Jane Austen with a shawl tucked about her shoulders strolling through Sydney Pleasure Gardens, which are just across the road from number 4 Sydney Place, once her home for several years.  Undoubtedly she would have stopped to enjoy a warming cuppa in the beautiful building which is now the Holburne Museum.  In Austen's day it was a teahouse and the entrance to the gardens.

The Holburne Museum houses one man's eclectic collection of porcelain, paintings and small objects of art gathered during his expeditions to the continent and beyond.  Thomas Willam Holburne personally acquired 4,000 small objects of art during his lifetime in the 19th century.  As a proud citizen of Bath he gifted his entire collection to the city.  The diverse collection forms the basis of this fascinating small museum.  It was a highlight of our visit to Bath.

Stratford-upon-Avon

Touring the house where Shakespeare was born.

Stratford-upon-Avon is also only an hour's drive from Chalford, so after collecting our nephew Tim from the school nearby where he is taking a gap year, we stopped to visit the birthplace of Shakespeare. 

We spent an interesting afternoon in the town learning a little about Shakespeare's life, while we toured the house where he was born and lived, until he married at the age of 19.  Actors were stationed in various rooms of the house describing what life was like during Shakespeare's time and performing short recitations of his work.  Their short performances brought this snippet of English history to life.

Oxford

The grounds of Trinity College.

Oxford was our final day trip from Chalford.  Once again the weather was bleak, and quite wet, so we were glad to tour some of the rooms of Trinity College including the original dining room which is still in use.

The highlight of our day in Oxford wasn't our visit to Trinity College, nor was it the brief stop we made to Queen's College where our current Prime Minister once gained an Oxford Blue for boxing.

Queen's College

It was a tour of the Bodleian Library.  This incredible library is famous not merely for being one of the oldest libraries in the world, but it has become almost as famous as Hogwarts Library, having featured in several Harry Potter films.

Sneaky inside shot of the Bodleian Library's chained book collection.

We made the most of our brief stay in the Cotswolds.  Our drives through the perfectly manicured English countryside dotted with castles, stately homes and quaint villages tempted us to stay longer, but the chilly spring weather did not.

So with the promise of warmer temperatures, we said sadly said farewell to Tim, and to England, and flew south to Rome in the hope of some sunny Mediterranean spring days.

Prossima volta primavera a Trastevere.

Where we stayed:
Chalford
Weaver's Loft is reviewed on AirBnB CLICK HERE but you can book directly through their website CLICK HERE. There isn't really any other accommodation in Chalford which is part of the joy of staying there as it is completely away from the tourist buses and traffic of the Cotswolds.

Malvern
Amazing View BandB in Malvern was excellent. We stayed there on our last night in England. CLICK HERE for the website and CLICK HERE for reviews of this lovely BandB.

Walking in the Cotswolds, Chalford

The village of Chalford near Stroud.

After six days in London we escaped from the city's hustle and bustle with plans to walk, or ramble as the English prefer to say, in the countryside.  Our destination was Chalford, a village in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds.  

The canal which seeps through the village is bordered by a walking path.  Luck was with us on our first day as the sun shone, so we set out to explore the area. 

After a gentle walk along the canal we wandered uphill through some paddocks and found ourselves in the nearby village of Frampton Mansell.  

And we arrived at their local pub, The Crown Inn, just in time for lunch.  

We spent just over a week staying in Chalford. After our first day of sparkling the weather the skies turned grey and the temperature dropped but our days were brightened by our nephew Tim, who joined us for a long weekend.

We followed the example of the English and didn't let a little damp weather put us off another ramble. This time we took Tim on a pub crawl.  

Tim filling the doorway of The Daneway Pub, Sapperton.

Our first stop was The Daneway, one of the oldest pubs in the area, which dates back to 1784.  The slogan on their website rings true, "Real Ale, Real Food, Real Pub, Real People".  It is an unpretentious little pub with the main bar the size of a small sitting room,  just right for a couple of regulars to prop up the counter.  

In the main bar of the Daneway, first pub of the walk.

After warming up by the fire we enjoyed a hearty plate of chips, a couple of ales and a cider to fuel us to the next pub.

On and up we walked away from the canal into lanes winding through the estate of the Earl of Bathurst.  Our second pub was in the centre of Sapperton, actually it is the centre of Sapperton, as apart from several old houses and a village hall which is famous for its Arts and Crafts style that's about all there is.

The Bell at Sapperton was a complete contrast to the Danebank.  It was full of families enjoying a late Mother's Day lunch.  The pub has been completely renovated and the restaurant is becoming famous throughout the area. It was almost fine dining.

We managed to squeeze in and grabbed a couple of stools at the bar.  While we sipped our beers and cider the waiter brought over a complimentary bowl of steaming hot roasted potatoes with fresh gravy for dipping.  A very nice touch.  

Our last pub was the unanimous favourite, The Crown at Frampton Mansell where Stefano and I had enjoyed lunch on our first day in the Cotswolds.  

After that, the ramble home seemed shorter, and not so chilly after all. Our spirits were high, even though the temperature outside was dropping. 

Prossima volta andiamo a Bath, Oxford e Stratford Upon Avon.  Ciao a tutti.