Watson Realty Corp.
In September, I was privileged to attend a friend’s wedding at the Vatican in Rome.
My daughter and son-in-law, Kaki and Tim, and Terri, my sister-in-law, traveled together from Ponte Vedra. The bride and groom, Melissa and Adam, are from Ohio. The ceremony was held in the side chapel of St. Peter’s Basilica, known as The Sistine Chapel of the Choir. The gorgeous chapel is where the choir practices. It is a mini version of the beautiful St. Peter’s Basilica with ancient Roman sculptures and Renaissance frescoes.
Melissa and Adam’s local parish priest in Ohio initiated the grand plan to have their wedding at the Vatican. Over the next 18 months, the couple flew to Rome three times to meet with a Vatican priest and their wedding planner. The 40 guests witnessed a magical event with beautiful music, ceremonial procession and a full Mass. Two days after the ceremony, all couples married during the month were invited back to the Papal Audience held outside the main entrance to the Basilica. They sat in a side area on the altar and each was given a special greeting and blessing by the Pope. All the couples were dressed in their wedding attire. What a sight! There was also a special roped off area for the wedding guests. The weather was crisp and clear. A perfect day.
Prior to the five-day stay in Rome, the four of us began our adventure in Venice, surrounded by water wherever you looked. Kaki and Tim visited the island of Burano for the day while Terri and I walked through Doge’s Palace wearing self-guided ear pieces to navigate the museum. Delicious food and wine could be found at St. Mark’s Square or on any tiny side street. Getting around on the Grand Canal on a vaporetto (canal taxi) was a lot of fun. We had passes so we could hop on and off at different stops to shop, sip a glass of wine and people watch.
After three days, we headed south via train to Florence. Over the next four days, we indulged in the mandatory museum tours, wine tasting and strolling through medieval hilltop villages (San Gimignano, Monteriggioni and Siena). The Accademia Gallery with Michelangelo’s statue of David stopped everyone in their tracks. Thank goodness there were plenty of benches to sit and admire all the artwork.
On Kaki’s bucket list, she wanted to stomp grapes on her 50th birthday (Sept. 19). Our guide took us to Villa Le Piazzole, a beautiful restored family estate. We carried baskets, walked through the vineyard and gathered our own bunches of ripened grapes. Back at the estate, she climbed into a big tub with all the grapes and celebrated her birthday. The Tuscany country-side’s rolling hills, vineyards and olive trees were breathtaking. This area of Italy was my favorite.
From Florence, we traveled to Rome via train. We did the required tours including the Colosseum, Sistine Chapel, climbing the Spanish Steps, multiple churches and of course sampling food and wine along the way. Throughout this journey, we stayed as authentic as possible with lodging in a former palace of an aristocratic family in Venice (Hotel Pausania), a 13th century former convent in Florence (Atlantic Palace) and a restored hotel in Rome (Hotel Mozart). I would recommend each of them. They were gorgeous accommodations with the purpose of providing their guests with a sense of time long ago.
