Perfectly Prepared for Pieta at Pope's Place
I was up a little after 6 AM and our group was on the road for the Vatican at 7:45. Once again we were required to ride the bus, though the ride was much more bearable this time. No pickpockets, no crazy crowds.
It was kind of surreal to find myself outside of the walls of the Vatican. I'm not Catholic, but I am a Christian with great respect for the position of church leaders. Like many, I am impressed with the current Pope, Francis.
The surreal part was me being "in the moment" and recognizing all of the amazing things I'd seen and been exposed to over the last week and a half. Thanks to The Rickster, I'd cruised down the Rhine in the land of my ancestors in Germany, I'd stared into the ovens at Dachau and felt the pain of the millions of innocents lost to history. I'd climbed a mountain to a fairytale castle, I'd listened to the lovely opera of the singer on the gondola on the stunning canals of Venice, and imagined the gory life and death battles in the Roman Coliseum. Now, here I was, at the home of the Pope, ready to see some of the most magnificent pieces of art ever known. WOW!
Even at such an early hour, the line was long to get into the city walls. Of course we were able to just walk in. Dimitri led us over to another great tour guide and off we went!
It was kind of surreal to find myself outside of the walls of the Vatican. I'm not Catholic, but I am a Christian with great respect for the position of church leaders. Like many, I am impressed with the current Pope, Francis.
The surreal part was me being "in the moment" and recognizing all of the amazing things I'd seen and been exposed to over the last week and a half. Thanks to The Rickster, I'd cruised down the Rhine in the land of my ancestors in Germany, I'd stared into the ovens at Dachau and felt the pain of the millions of innocents lost to history. I'd climbed a mountain to a fairytale castle, I'd listened to the lovely opera of the singer on the gondola on the stunning canals of Venice, and imagined the gory life and death battles in the Roman Coliseum. Now, here I was, at the home of the Pope, ready to see some of the most magnificent pieces of art ever known. WOW!
Even at such an early hour, the line was long to get into the city walls. Of course we were able to just walk in. Dimitri led us over to another great tour guide and off we went!
Curious Capture
Please don't mistake my tongue as irreverence. I wanted a picture of me with the gorgeous ceiling, but I wasn't pleased with how I was looking. I was sticking my tongue out at myself. It was only later that I thought people might take the picture wrong and be offended. I meant no offense! Just look at that incredible ceiling!
We saw the Vatican Museum first. And me, being the person I am, I was sure I'd be running into Pope Francis at any moment. I'm also sure I'll win the lottery every time I buy a ticket- and sometimes even when I don't!
The museum was established in 1506 and is a feast for the eyes. And while, to me, it was one big museum, it is in fact, 54 museums (or galleries) all within that area. It's one of the largest museums in the world, and of the most visited museum in the world Like so many of these amazing places, it's almost too much. It's easy to become overstimulated. Such wonderful places are meant to taken in bit by bit, over many, many visits. Naturally, on such as trip as this one, you are merely whetting your appetite for all that is possible. It's glorious.
What can I say about the Sistine Chapel (Capella Sistina)? The first thing that comes to mind is CROWDED. The second thing is, Shhhhhhh! You are herded into the room like a bunch of cattle and are pressed body to body like packaged sardines. What do you care, you're there to look up, right? Be prepared to sweat, and to wear the sweat of others. There are benches around the room, but that requires you to look down (good luck) and waste your limit of time trying to spy a vacancy and then get to it before the next poor guy or gal.
You are instructed before you enter to maintain complete silence, after all, it is a religious chapel. You are also warned not to take pictures. Guards are stationed all around and while I was there, they were quite tested in their patience. "SILENCE!" and "Shhhhhhh!" were constantly being tossed about. Nobody listened, unfortunately. And people do take pictures. In the thick crowds it's easy to be sneaky, though I doubt too many quality photos are taken.
I was a good girl and kept my camera off. I wanted to focus on the art. And while, of course, the chapel is known for its ceiling frescoes by Michelangelo, there are also stunning wall frescoes by Botticelli and Rosselli and others.
The ceiling is everything you might imagine. It's bright and vivid and bold. Michelangelo's art has life and spirit. It's quite magnificent! It would be easy to spend hours in there just studying the imagery.
We were given a fair amount of time to be in the chapel. Fortunately, the crowds thinned just a bit towards the end so I could relax more and enjoy exactly where I was at.
The museum was established in 1506 and is a feast for the eyes. And while, to me, it was one big museum, it is in fact, 54 museums (or galleries) all within that area. It's one of the largest museums in the world, and of the most visited museum in the world Like so many of these amazing places, it's almost too much. It's easy to become overstimulated. Such wonderful places are meant to taken in bit by bit, over many, many visits. Naturally, on such as trip as this one, you are merely whetting your appetite for all that is possible. It's glorious.
What can I say about the Sistine Chapel (Capella Sistina)? The first thing that comes to mind is CROWDED. The second thing is, Shhhhhhh! You are herded into the room like a bunch of cattle and are pressed body to body like packaged sardines. What do you care, you're there to look up, right? Be prepared to sweat, and to wear the sweat of others. There are benches around the room, but that requires you to look down (good luck) and waste your limit of time trying to spy a vacancy and then get to it before the next poor guy or gal.
You are instructed before you enter to maintain complete silence, after all, it is a religious chapel. You are also warned not to take pictures. Guards are stationed all around and while I was there, they were quite tested in their patience. "SILENCE!" and "Shhhhhhh!" were constantly being tossed about. Nobody listened, unfortunately. And people do take pictures. In the thick crowds it's easy to be sneaky, though I doubt too many quality photos are taken.
I was a good girl and kept my camera off. I wanted to focus on the art. And while, of course, the chapel is known for its ceiling frescoes by Michelangelo, there are also stunning wall frescoes by Botticelli and Rosselli and others.
The ceiling is everything you might imagine. It's bright and vivid and bold. Michelangelo's art has life and spirit. It's quite magnificent! It would be easy to spend hours in there just studying the imagery.
We were given a fair amount of time to be in the chapel. Fortunately, the crowds thinned just a bit towards the end so I could relax more and enjoy exactly where I was at.
Because I had watched The Rickster's travelogue of Rome so many times, I was especially excited to see this painting, "The School of Athens" by Raphael. It represents Philosophy and was painted between 1509 and 1511. The picture contains the likenesses of Plato, Socrates, Aristotle and Pythagoras among others. Best of all, Raphael himself, makes an appearance and it was fun to find him within the painting.
As we toured, it was pointed out that our window spied onto the window of the Pope's personal apartment. You can bet I was straining my eyes for a glimpse of His Holiness. I didn't see diddly, but not for lack of trying!
Next up was our visit to St Peter's Basilica. It is considered one of the most Holy Catholic shrines- though it is NOT the mother church. It was constructed starting in 1506 and IS considered "the greatest of all churches of Christendom". It is one of the largest churches in the world.
Sadly, I was not able to see Michelangelo's other masterpiece, Pieta. This was a real blow for me. The sculpture was walled off with fabric and guards. We were told that the Pope was having a special service there and it should be viewable in an hour, but it wasn't. We toured the Basilica and saw many of the wonderful works of art, such as Bernini's bronze baldacchino pavilion under the great dome and over the altar. We also saw Bernini's "Throne of St Peter" (Cathedra Petri).
It's hard to fathom the majesty of the magnificent works of art we saw. Each day, one after another, art and history were brought to life for us in a most amazing and wonderful way. This day was no different. It's truly a tour of blessings.
Sadly, I was not able to see Michelangelo's other masterpiece, Pieta. This was a real blow for me. The sculpture was walled off with fabric and guards. We were told that the Pope was having a special service there and it should be viewable in an hour, but it wasn't. We toured the Basilica and saw many of the wonderful works of art, such as Bernini's bronze baldacchino pavilion under the great dome and over the altar. We also saw Bernini's "Throne of St Peter" (Cathedra Petri).
It's hard to fathom the majesty of the magnificent works of art we saw. Each day, one after another, art and history were brought to life for us in a most amazing and wonderful way. This day was no different. It's truly a tour of blessings.
As we left Vatican City, there was an almost carnival atmosphere and plenty to see!
Dimitri took us on a looooooong walk through the city. He instructed us on moving through the busy streets (once you start- don't stop!).
As we weaved our way in and out of the city streets, we were passed by "the designer purse guys", who were hurrying away from the police.
Back at the Piazza del Popolo we paused to watch this Michael Jackson impersonator. Not bad.
Limoncello Loving Lady Lunches and Laughs
Joe, Julie, Lannie and I stopped at one of the outdoor restaurants for lunch. (See Joe's jaunty cap from our previous day's shopping? Very handsome!)
Everybody ordered their drink of choice. I'm sure you guessed mine! I also made the decision to see what a cheeseburger tastes like in Rome. After nearly three weeks away from home, I needed a burger! It definitely wasn't like an American burger. My bun was home-made and my burger topped with thick, fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh veggies. The beef wasn't what a Nebraska girl is used to, but it was all quite good and satisfied my desire for the familiar.
Little Ricky stumbled upon us and joined us. We were talking about doing some more shopping and having some gelato. He said he'd love to join us.
Everybody ordered their drink of choice. I'm sure you guessed mine! I also made the decision to see what a cheeseburger tastes like in Rome. After nearly three weeks away from home, I needed a burger! It definitely wasn't like an American burger. My bun was home-made and my burger topped with thick, fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh veggies. The beef wasn't what a Nebraska girl is used to, but it was all quite good and satisfied my desire for the familiar.
Little Ricky stumbled upon us and joined us. We were talking about doing some more shopping and having some gelato. He said he'd love to join us.
Curious Capture
Curious Capture
We don't know what these German men were doing in Rome, but it looked quite official!
We left Joe at the hotel since he was still not 100% over his illness. Julie, Lannie and I, along with Richard, made our way to the gelato shop. The waitress assumed that Little Ricky and I were together, which made me laugh. I bought LR his gelato. I don't know if he was overwhelmed at being the only male, or what, but when he saw Dimitri walk by, he flagged him down. Suddenly, it was very important that he join Dimitri for "work". Little Ricky dumped us! Baaaaaaad Little Ricky!
Shirley met up with us. So now the four of us decided to take on Rome! Julie was in need of some more scarves, while Shirley was on the hunt for a lovely souvenir bracelet. On one of the many bridges in the city, were several vendors selling goods. Julie had her bargaining shoes on. She negotiated five scarves for 22 Euro (which at that time also meant $22).
We found a quaint little jewelry shop on our walk and stopped in to peek. Shirley was excited as she tried on several very pretty bracelets. She fell in love with a tri gold link chain bracelet and bought it (It was more than 22E).
Shirley met up with us. So now the four of us decided to take on Rome! Julie was in need of some more scarves, while Shirley was on the hunt for a lovely souvenir bracelet. On one of the many bridges in the city, were several vendors selling goods. Julie had her bargaining shoes on. She negotiated five scarves for 22 Euro (which at that time also meant $22).
We found a quaint little jewelry shop on our walk and stopped in to peek. Shirley was excited as she tried on several very pretty bracelets. She fell in love with a tri gold link chain bracelet and bought it (It was more than 22E).
Memorable Moments
We passed by a dessert shop and Shirley suggested we go inside and have some cannoli. As we sat down with a "sample" plate, Shirley shared with us some stories of her Italian family and how she loved to make and eat cannoli with her grandmother. It was endearing to have her share those personal stories.
We had a delightful, leisurely walk back to the hotel. It was a very special memory for me. My heart was full.
We had a delightful, leisurely walk back to the hotel. It was a very special memory for me. My heart was full.
Julie and Shirley had evening plans with their husbands, so Lannie and I decided to rest a bit and then pal around. We met up at 7PM. We walked to a nearby restaurant for supper.
Curious Capture
Only in Roma (?) might you have to move your restaurant dining table over so a cab can back in to pick up their fare!
As we dined Lannie mentioned wanting to see the rooftop terrace that we'd be told about at our hotel. So after dinner we made our way back to the main hotel building and located the stairs. On the roof we found the empty terrace... AND... some amazing views of the city! Somehow, this led to us exploring the neighborhood and another rooftop terrace!
Lannie and I had a great time taking pictures, talking, laughing and watching the sun set over Rome.
Lannie and I had a great time taking pictures, talking, laughing and watching the sun set over Rome.