Rome, Day 2 - Part 2 of 3 ~ 4/3/14

After leaving the Sistine Chapel, our tour guide led us towards St. Peter's Basilica. We could see the lines of those waiting to climb to the dome. We could have gone up after our tour but seeing as there was no elevator we opted out, this time.

We stayed on the main floor and tried to take in everything we could see. It was an incredible and overwhelming space.

This is the holy door, and a detail from it, which is opened only on special occasions.

John Paul II is entombed on the main floor, and here I am with my patron saint, St. Helena :-)

Michelangelo's Pieta was fascinating to see. Check out how large and muscular Mary is.

Here's a view of the Basilica from St. Peter's Square, and two photos of the window from which the Pope makes his appearances.

It was great being in St. Peter's Square, especially with no crowds!

We headed on down the road (via della conciliazione) to take a break and came across the Universal Bar with outdoor seating. We ordered beer, Antipasto and Spaghetti. What else?

We were enjoying our lunch but started to notice the increasing number of police and crowds, and the road being roped off.

Our server informed us that some king or queen was going to visit the Pope, and after a quick google search, we discovered that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were headed this way. The motorcade soon arrived.

I had to pick my side of the street to try and get a picture and as the odds would have it, I didn't get Liz.

With the excitement over and our lunch finished, we walked over to Castel Sant'Angelo (Mausoleum of Hadrian), with many fascinating and beautiful things to see along the way and back.

Before we headed back to the hotel and dinner, we had one more stop to make, The Pantheon. And we happily reflected on what was an amazing day so far as we headed that way.

 

Rome, Day 2 - Part 1 of 3 ~ 4/3/14

We packed so much into this day that it had to be divided into three postings. First on the agenda was a tour of the Vatican. We met our tour guide down these stairs and made our way to the entrance, by-passing a line that circled the Vatican wall for at least two blocks. Yes, paying for a tour is so worth it.

Inside, it was packed, but our tour guide deftly got us through the screenings and ticket takers and we were off. After visiting the Post Office (get a stamped postcard if you wish), she led us outside where she would describe in detail what we would see in the Sistine Chapel.

Our able guide also advised us that this was the best viewpoint for photos of St. Peter's Basilica. Never doubt the word of your tour guide.

The Vatican Museums are incredible with their storehouses of priceless art and I'm posting just a few pictures here.

Before we made our way to the goal of everyone touring the Vatican, we viewed these unassuming views of the Sistine Chapel walls from an adjacent building. And then finally, we were there.

It's a large room with benches along the side and standing people packed wall to wall. Guards are everywhere looking for flashing cameras and requiring people to delete their photos, and continually announcing "Silencio!" There were people surreptitiously taking pictures, and with the dense crowd many were getting away with it. I didn't attempt any photos but our tour guide told us when we left that there were many high definition photos available on the internet and that the Vatican's attempt to protect its copyrighted artwork was futile. So in that spirit, here are two photos I found that at least give you an idea of the magnificence of this art. I expected God's Creation of Adam to be much bigger than it was. It's just a small piece of this great work created by Michelangelo.

And on a side note - there are no toilet seats in the women's bathrooms - learn to squat. Next up - St. Peter's Basilica, and Prince Philip of England.