Popes Old, Pope New, Ideas Borrowed, Self Renewed

Unless I am working on a presentation, I don’t usually intentionally live my life to a theme, but it is cool when it happens. Synchronicity is what that is called, I believe.

Last Mediterranean season our calls to Civitavecchia (the port city for Rome) fell on Sundays, which means a more limited train schedule and we did not have any late departures allowing for wiggle room.  And, with my purse having been stolen in Athens (yes, I still owe that story), I was hesitant to venture into the big cities on my own. 

This year? 

2025 is a Jubilee year. Celebrated by Catholics every 25 years, it is a time for spiritual renewal, forgiveness, and pilgrimage to Rome.  The holy doors are opened for the four big basilicas and if one enters one of the basilicas through the holy doors, and performs additional penitential and spiritual actions, they can earn a plenary indulgence. Not so sure if I’ll have that chance to enter the holy doors again in 25 years time.

Lo and behold, we were in Civitavecchia on a Saturday.  And it was a late sail?!  And there might be the possibility to see the smoke from the Sistine chapel signifying a new pope?!!  And it’s a Jubilee year?!!!  How could I not go!

Pope Leo was elected two days before our call to Civitavecchia, which meant I would not see the smoke, but I would see large crowds at the Vatican.  St. Peter’s wasn’t on my list anyway- I wanted to see the other three big basilicas, which amazingly I have never visited.

So with a train schedule and walking route planned, water bottle and phone battery packed, and jewelry and unnecessary money left on board, I set off for adventure!

I could not have asked for a more beautiful day.  

I started with Santa Maria Maggiore. It worked for my walking and train plan as it was the closest basilica to Termini station. I also figured it would be the busiest as the most in-town basilica, so best to visit before the crowds grew.   I had not paid attention to the fact that this is where Pope Francis was buried…..oops.  I could see there was a sort of VIP line; one of the Red Cross volunteers chuckled and pointed me in the right direction when I asked where the “normal” people should queue. The lines were well-managed, the pilgrims all seemingly content, and the wait was only an hour.  Santa Maria Maggiore is known for its beautiful art; it is on my list to go back to on a non-Jubilee visit, not right after the entombment of the pope.

A 30-minute largely downhill walk took me to the next basilica, San Giovanni in Laterano.  Wait time only 20 minutes.  While there were some groups at the first basilica, this one had more organized groups. All in all, low key.

Back to my walking tour but with a break in spiritual visits with a stop at the Baths of Caracalla - a site that has been on my list for some time.  Downhill walk again - score!  It was starting to get close to lunch time, and apart from some little kiosks, there was not a lot of food around. I was getting pretty hangry and knew I did not have the energy to walk the 40 minutes to the last basilica. It would also be pushing it time wise. I was not keen to abandon my plan but knew I needed food soon. As I trudged along in indecision, a metro station came into view and suddenly the third basilica was a short metro ride away.

At San Paolo Fuori le Mura the wait was only 5 minutes. On the train to Rome, I perused the Jubilee website, learning that that weekend was the Jubilee of Bands and Popular Entertainment. The grounds outside of the basilica were full of young people in scouting uniforms, so I figured the music must be starting soon. 

I still did not see any restaurants that looked good (who wants to waste calories on junk food in Rome?), but I figured out that one of my favorite restaurants was just a bus ride away.

Refreshed from my newly filled water bottle (still or sparkling available!) and chuffed at my successful fourth mode of transportation for the day, I happily enjoyed a late lunch at Vinando.

A final push to walk back to Termini and it was time to head home. 

Riding the port shuttle to the train station, I had spoken with a couple who had used generative AI to create their itinerary.  She said it took a little time to figure out what prompts she should enter, but once she got it worked out, she could apply to each port. So far, no hallucinations. Brilliant!  I am so going to try this and will be reporting back on tips for utilizing this technology.  In the meantime:

Tips for Day Planning 

• Go to your furthest point of interest first and work your way back towards the ship.

• Map a walking path that is downhill..

• Go to busiest sights first (or at recommended least busy times)

• If you use your phone as a camera, a payment method, a map, etc. you could eat up a lot of phone battery.  Bring a portable charger to make sure you have enough juice to get through the day.

Civitavecchia-Rome Train Tips

• Take the port shuttle to the train station: At €6 per person/each way, cash or card, it is a bargain and so worth it. Yes there is a free shuttle into town, but it is quite a walk from its drop off point to the train.  Spend your shoe leather and time in Rome not getting to the Civi train station.

• For most Rome - Civi trains,  the train tickets are (currently) €4.60. These can be used on any departure with that fare basis. There are some trains that are more expensive, so be mindful.  If you buy the paper ticket(s), I believe you still need to validate the ticket for your ride.  

• You can also buy tickets online through Trenitalia or its app, as a guest or registered user.  If you need to change your electronic ticket departure, it is super easy to do on the phone

• When heading to Rome, I like to go into Termini, and then head back to the ship from one of the other Rome train stops for a couple of reasons.

• Again, this lines up with going to the furthest point first. Handy if heading to Colosseum, Forum, St Mary Maggiore.

• It is the busiest/biggest station, so if you are catching a train there you need to allow PLENTY of time to find your track.  Once entering the station it can be another 10-15 minutes of fast walking to your platform.

  • If you choose Termini as your arrival station, it is a downhill walk into town.  You guessed it- it’s a hot, uphill slog at the end of the (probably long) day.

  • The one advantage to heading back to the ship from Termini, is you are pretty much guaranteed a seat. At busy times, if you get on the train at St Paolo (closest Vatican stop) you might not get a seat. I’ve only seen this a few times, but it can happen.

A few days later I was able to escort the tour to Châteauneuf-Du-Pape and Avignon. More popes!  From 1309 to 1376, seven popes resided in Avignon, and Châteauneuf-Du-Pape became their summer residence.  The popes encouraged the growth of vineyards, and the area has become known for its wines.  We had a lovely tasting and then visited the Pope’s Palace in Avignon.

My day in Rome restored my confidence in my ability to map out a day’s itinerary, travel safely, and handle large crowds.  

And while I did not fulfill all the steps to receive a plenary indulgence, there was something special in being amongst all the pilgrims.  It was a time to pause and reflect and give blessings and prayers for family and friends.  At the end of the day: tired, happy and renewed.

This has been a long post, so I will simply report that all is good on the wellness round up (apart from maybe some overeating….).

That’s it for now.  Time to watch Conclave. Bon Voyage & Bon Appétit!