Our first stop was in Vatican City, which is the smallest independent state in the world. The Pope, of course, is the absolute monarch, with about 500 people living in the Vatican. They have their own post office, currency, radio station and newspaper. We walked across St. Peter’s Square where the Pope addresses (blesses?) the masses from his window on Sundays. We passed a couple of the colorfully-dressed Swiss Guards, but unfortunately could not get
close enough for good photos.
Dome in Saint Peter's Basilica
On to Saint Peter’s Basilica. This church is supposedly built over the grave of the apostle Peter, and boasts of being the largest church in Christendom. My experience with the size of houses of worship leaves me unable to argue with that statement. Inside we viewed Michelangelo’s “Pieta”, located just to the right as you enter. It was difficult to get a photo since it is now protected by glass since it was attacked by a deranged man named Laszlo Toth in 1972. Also of interest in the Basilica are the “paintings” on the wall. We were to find out that they were not “paintings” at all, but made of the tiniest pieces of mosaic. You had to get very close and get the light just right to tell that they were not paintings. In one area they had the body of Pope John 23 (who died in 1963) on view. Creepy, to say the least.
Michaelangelo's "Pieta" (behind glass)
One of the mosaics in the Basilica
Crowds in the Vatican Museum...on the way to the Sistine Chapel
Pope John XXIII
Then we went to the Vatican Museums, which are located in palaces originally built for the Popes, but now these palaces contain the world’s largest museum complex. We were all given “whispers”, which is a semi-working earphone with a connecting battery device to hang around your neck. The idea is that the guide can “whisper” information and those wearing the devices can hear his words, Nice idea…not yet in a state of perfection. We kept having static, missing entire sentences, and picking up “broadcasts” from other guides in the area who were speaking some other language. It was at this point that several of us tired of the guide describing in gorey detail each painting and tapestry on view. There were signs pointing to the Sistine Chapel, so we went ahead, estimating that we would arrive at the Sistine Chapel ahead of the others. We followed all the signs, and did not cross the roped off areas. We walked up stairs, then down stairs, then repeated the motion again and again, finally ending up in the Sistine Chapel. Like disobedient children, we were reprimanded by our guide for not “staying with the group”. (Apparently he had brought the others through the roped-off area and avoided the up-and-down steps, so they arrived in the Chapel a few minutes before we did. However, by the time we got there (and had to wait for several others who had done the same thing we did, but just didn’t move as fast) I was too tired to do much except just glance up a time or two at the paintings in the chapel. By that time I was in an “artistic overload”. The entire museum was extremely crowded, and especially the Sistine Chapel. Statistics state that the Sistine Chapel has about 9,000 visitors each day, and I believe all 9,000 of today’s quota were squashed in the chapel the same time we were there. I began to think of my visit to the Sistine Chapel as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I don’t think I have to go back there again any time soon.
Not only were we tired of listening to the static on the “whispers”, we were ravenously hungry (because it was after 1:30), needed to make use of the “facilities”, and our feet hurt. Our guide took us to a little hole-in-the-wall food station and allowed us 20 minutes to eat and use the bathrooms. Was he kidding?
After a bite of lunch we were semi-revived, so we boarded the bus to head for the Catacombs near the Appian Way. The Catacombs are subterranean cemeteries used by believers in Christ for burial of their loved ones in the third to fifth centuries. The bodies are gone, but we were able to walk through the echoing passageways and see the niches in the walls where the bodies were buried. It is estimated that at one time the Catacombs contained over a million bodies, so you can see how extensive the area is. We walked down into the area underground and walked for quite a while, but I am sure we did not see even a small portion of what was originally there. Some think that believers in Christ worshipped in the catacombs, but the space was very tight and there is no real evidence to point to this. Sorry, no photos allowed inside the Catacombs. You must go and see them yourselves. It was very interesting.
As we left the area of the Catacombs we were interested in going on the Appian Way a little further, but the bus driver said he could not go there. Apparently a little farther up the road an original area of paving remains from Roman times. We would loved to have seen it. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, the Browns returned to the hotel, hired a taxi, and went back out to that area where they reported seeing the ancient part of the road. It was along a portion of the Appian Way that the apostle Paul was led as a prisoner to Rome.
I was still more than a little frustrated with my computer, and Chasity agreed to look at it and see if she could help. She came to our room late that afternoon, fooled with it for almost two hours, and did everything she could think of, but finally decided it would require major work once I got home. (Bless Chasity’s heart…she gave up her afternoon nap to try to help me, but Margaret and I also enjoyed visiting with her while she worked.) I appreciate her efforts so much, but at that point I thanked her for her help, and packed the computer away for the trip home, trying not to think about it for the remainder of the time we were gone.
Not only were we tired of listening to the static on the “whispers”, we were ravenously hungry (because it was after 1:30), needed to make use of the “facilities”, and our feet hurt. Our guide took us to a little hole-in-the-wall food station and allowed us 20 minutes to eat and use the bathrooms. Was he kidding?
After a bite of lunch we were semi-revived, so we boarded the bus to head for the Catacombs near the Appian Way. The Catacombs are subterranean cemeteries used by believers in Christ for burial of their loved ones in the third to fifth centuries. The bodies are gone, but we were able to walk through the echoing passageways and see the niches in the walls where the bodies were buried. It is estimated that at one time the Catacombs contained over a million bodies, so you can see how extensive the area is. We walked down into the area underground and walked for quite a while, but I am sure we did not see even a small portion of what was originally there. Some think that believers in Christ worshipped in the catacombs, but the space was very tight and there is no real evidence to point to this. Sorry, no photos allowed inside the Catacombs. You must go and see them yourselves. It was very interesting.
As we left the area of the Catacombs we were interested in going on the Appian Way a little further, but the bus driver said he could not go there. Apparently a little farther up the road an original area of paving remains from Roman times. We would loved to have seen it. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, the Browns returned to the hotel, hired a taxi, and went back out to that area where they reported seeing the ancient part of the road. It was along a portion of the Appian Way that the apostle Paul was led as a prisoner to Rome.
I was still more than a little frustrated with my computer, and Chasity agreed to look at it and see if she could help. She came to our room late that afternoon, fooled with it for almost two hours, and did everything she could think of, but finally decided it would require major work once I got home. (Bless Chasity’s heart…she gave up her afternoon nap to try to help me, but Margaret and I also enjoyed visiting with her while she worked.) I appreciate her efforts so much, but at that point I thanked her for her help, and packed the computer away for the trip home, trying not to think about it for the remainder of the time we were gone.
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