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Day 14: Aug 19, 2009 / Rome, Italy
I can’t believe that this is our last whole day in Rome (Imagine, I was just looking for free insurance quotes for our travel insurance and now I am already blogging about our last day in Rome).
We woke up early because we need to line up early for the Papal Audience. August is a holiday month in Rome so they are not providing tickets for the Papal Audience. It is on a first come-first served basis so we have to be really early.
Fr. Lito asked his friend Angelo if he can drive us there since Fr. Lito only has a small car and his mom, Meg, Kuya Danny and Kuya Chito will be riding with him. So we went with Angelo and Fr. Jessie and left Fr. Lito’s house at 8:30 AM. We went around the Castel first while waiting for the siblings and Fr. Lito. We also went inside the chapel inside the Castel and we also had a picture by the lake.
By 9:30, they started to let people in and we were so happy when all of us we’re able to make it inside. The Papal audience started at 10:30 AM it was really an experience. I cried as soon as I saw the Pope waving at us, all smiles and he has really this unique presence and aura, he really looks Holy. I cried even more when I saw Howell crying too. And I was really touched when the Pope said that he is extending his blessings to all our family and friends whom we left at home. I feel so really blessed after the audience and I will not trade this experience for anything else.
We were lucky because Papal Audience is usually held at St. Peter’s Square which is a really big venue. But since it is summer, Pope Benedict is staying at his summer house in Castel Gandolfo and the audience was held at the garden which is just a small venue so it was like an intimate meeting with the Pope.
After the audience, we drive back to downtown Rome and had lunch at a Chinese Resto near the Vatican. After lunch, we went to St. Peter’s Basilica and Fr. Lito gave us a personal tour of the Basilica while he shares stories and history of the Basilica to us. After a visit to the Basilica, we parted ways and we were emotional. Even though we’ve only known each other for just a few days, we all felt that we have developed a deeper friendship and we vowed to see each other when we are all back in Manila.
Fr. Jesie and Angelo drove us back to our hotel so Howell and I can freshen up then Howell and I explored Rome by ourselves. We visited Piazza del Popolo, Villa Borghese, San Giovanni, St. John Lutteran and went back to the Colloseo and Arch of Constantine to have a picture of it at night. Then we called it a day as we have to pack our things for our early flight to Paris the next day.
You can view more pictures here.
We woke up early because we need to line up early for the Papal Audience. August is a holiday month in Rome so they are not providing tickets for the Papal Audience. It is on a first come-first served basis so we have to be really early.
Fr. Lito asked his friend Angelo if he can drive us there since Fr. Lito only has a small car and his mom, Meg, Kuya Danny and Kuya Chito will be riding with him. So we went with Angelo and Fr. Jessie and left Fr. Lito’s house at 8:30 AM. We went around the Castel first while waiting for the siblings and Fr. Lito. We also went inside the chapel inside the Castel and we also had a picture by the lake.
By 9:30, they started to let people in and we were so happy when all of us we’re able to make it inside. The Papal audience started at 10:30 AM it was really an experience. I cried as soon as I saw the Pope waving at us, all smiles and he has really this unique presence and aura, he really looks Holy. I cried even more when I saw Howell crying too. And I was really touched when the Pope said that he is extending his blessings to all our family and friends whom we left at home. I feel so really blessed after the audience and I will not trade this experience for anything else.
We were lucky because Papal Audience is usually held at St. Peter’s Square which is a really big venue. But since it is summer, Pope Benedict is staying at his summer house in Castel Gandolfo and the audience was held at the garden which is just a small venue so it was like an intimate meeting with the Pope.
After the audience, we drive back to downtown Rome and had lunch at a Chinese Resto near the Vatican. After lunch, we went to St. Peter’s Basilica and Fr. Lito gave us a personal tour of the Basilica while he shares stories and history of the Basilica to us. After a visit to the Basilica, we parted ways and we were emotional. Even though we’ve only known each other for just a few days, we all felt that we have developed a deeper friendship and we vowed to see each other when we are all back in Manila.
Fr. Jesie and Angelo drove us back to our hotel so Howell and I can freshen up then Howell and I explored Rome by ourselves. We visited Piazza del Popolo, Villa Borghese, San Giovanni, St. John Lutteran and went back to the Colloseo and Arch of Constantine to have a picture of it at night. Then we called it a day as we have to pack our things for our early flight to Paris the next day.
You can view more pictures here.
