Portone di Bronzo

Today isn't over yet, but I have to tell you all about this right now! I just had one of the most incredible experiences of my life when I went to go pick up our Easter tickets at the Vatican. The day started with our field trip to at least 5 (or maybe 6? I lost count) churches around Rome, which was fine but I was dying to get the tickets squared away. My roommates had said they wanted to come with me to pick them up, and thus I waited for them and followed them around to all the optional churches this morning. I'm really sorry I did because at the end they didn't even want to go with me. They were "too tired." I'm so frustrated with them because when we went to Florence, which was kind of Mary's little project, everyone was so excited. Now that I worked so hard to get us tickets for Easter, they all seem like they would much rather be somewhere else, like they don't even want to go anymore and they're doing me a favor.

So you know what, forget them. I think this is the coolest opportunity ever and if they don't then screw them, I'm going to enjoy it.

So now that I've gotten that out, this girl Faith came with me to the Vatican when my roommates bailed on me. She's the sweetest thing, and when I offered her and her two roommates our 3 extra tickets they were ecstatic! So she and I walked all the way to the Vatican, following the Tiber River down from my apt for about 2 or so miles. It was marvelous, it was breezy and about 70 degrees and sunny.

Once we finally made it to the Vatican, I broke out the fax that told us where to get the tickets, and it was very cryptic. It told us go to the Bronze Door at the beginning of the right hand Bernini colonnade. We walked around the columns for a while, then I ventured up to a bunch of police and asked in Italian where the Bronze Door was (except we didn't know the word for bronze until we later saw a sign that said Portone di Bronzo. duh) They pointed to the end of the colonnade, sort of by the line to enter the basilica. So we freaked out thinking we would have to stand in a 3+ hour line to get tickets! Walking around the square a little more I asked a few more officials and police until one finally told me in very clear Italian to go to the side gate and flag a guard down and tell him I had tickets waiting.

There was a small group of people waiting at this small gate manned by a few men in suits. They spoke English, and I asked what I needed to do to get to the Portone di Bronzo, and they said that one person could go down to the door at a time and get our tickets. The pointed out that Faith should go because I was wearing a sleeveless top and that wasn't Vatican dress code. Bless Faith's heart, she gave me her button down short sleeved shirt to wear so I could go in! We had discussed a week earlier how she had bought this shirt off a street vendor, and we made fun of her for it because it looked like a candy striper's shirt in the bag.But my turn came and I marched down the colonnade, eventually going up some stairs into this massive hallway leading to something called the Apostolic Palace. When I entered there were two swiss guards, one standing at attention with a spear, and the other snapped to attention, saluted me and told me "buona sera." Coolest thing EVER! And minus the silly clown-like uniforms, there were pretty cute too... I asked him "dove sono i biglietti" and he pointed in a side room. In there were two guys in suits, and in front of them were four large boxes filled with envelopes. I handed them my letter and they looked up my name and handed me an envelope. I think I said "gracias" to them instead of "grazie." Oops. Then I went back the way I came, beaming.
I was terrified the entire time, I was walking into the unknown surrounded by all these Vatican guards. But definitely one of the most memorable things I have done thus far. Wow