Sept 2 - Vatican

The morning started out with a bit of a mishap. I tried to use my flat iron (using the power converter) and nearly started a fire. First there was a pop and flash, then smoke started coming out of the iron. Very exciting and a little scary.

We headed out for the Vatican bright and early. Jen had ordered our tickets in advance which helped us skip many of the lines. Still it was very crowded and hot!!!! The first order of the day was to find the Vatican post office and mail some postcards (postage was .85 euro per postcard).

For those who haven't visited, the majority of the Vatican is basically a giant art museum. The collections are vast and cover pretty much all time. We saw items from b.c. all the way to paintings from some well known artists from the 1970s. The variety is phenomenal. But more than that the setting itself if breathtaking. In most rooms the ceilings are stunning, the architecture is extraordinary, and the floors are a work of art themselves.

Here are my favorite memories of the Vatican Museum:

• The giant pine cone in the Cortile dell Pigna - it's just bizaar to see a giant pine cone.
  
• Laughing with Jen about anatomy (yes we act like we are about 12 years-old at times).
  
• The statue of "Julia" in the Braccio Nuovo that looks a lot like my sister Erin (see photo to right)
• The violent nature of the art in the Animal Room (not for animal lovers)
• The giant bath tub (see the photo in my slide show)
  
• The ceiling in the round room (there's a picture in my Sept 2 slide show)
• The Gallery of Tapestries - the photos didn't come out from there (no flash allowed) but it was amazing. These tapestries are unbelievable. Huge is putting it mild and so much detail. Hard to believe they were sewn by hand.
• The Gallery of Maps - this room was really crowded, but it was the ceiling which really caught my attention. The frescos looked three dimensional.
• Collection of Modern Religious Art - some of the modern pieces from the 1960s and 1970s actually stand out in memory, partly because I didn't expect them to be there.

The Sistine Chapel was not what we expected (the curse of expectations). It's smaller and higher up in the building - it was also very crowded and unfortunately noisy, despite guards constantly shushing the crowd. The extreme height of the room and the vibrance of the colors are what struck me most. It's amazing to think Michelangelo painted all of that on scaffolding and that's it's fresco (colored wet plaster). I'm so glad I've seen it and will always remember it. We decided not to take photos in the chapel, it didn't seem right.

The most significant experience of the morning was St. Peter's Basilica. I don't even know how to explain what it was like to experience it. For one thing is was somewhat emotional for me, which I didn't expect. I was rushed with really strong feelings as soon as we entered the doors. I can't imagine how someone who is Catholic would feel because it was very profound to me and I have no religious attachment to it. The sheer magnitude of St. Peter's is part of what makes it so amazing. It's 5.7 acres and 132 feet high. I don't think you can understand how high that is until you see it. And every inch of it is a significant experience (history, spirituality, art, architecture, reverence, celebration, beauty - it's all there). I'm not even going to try to describe it, just promise me you'll try to see it in your life-time. Coming away from it, I honestly don't think my brain has integrated it, it didn't seem real - how can human beings have constructed this?

We were exhausted after the Vatican and unfortunately the metro broke down on our ride back to the hotel, so we had to find alternate transport. It was an adventure. Once back to Termini we found a cafe for lunch (we had beer, salad and french fries, a little odd I know). After that our first gelato of the day and back to the room for a siesta.

Click here to view entire slideshow

:) Kristin