The Vatican!

Today we headed out to see the Vatican. Tim has told me it will AMAZE me, that he is really interested to see what my reaction will be...so we will see. :)

After much discussion last night about what time we shoud head out today to see the Vatican, we opted for around 11:30am.  We were originally going to get up early and get there to "beat the crowd and miss the line," but after reading something on the internet last night from someone who lives here and just recommended NOT going super early in the morning, we went with THAT option.

When we left, we headed for the Metro, but today is apparently a strike day, which means the Metro was closed. Tim says that the Italians go on strike quite often. What is funny is that they only strike for half a day. I guess on this day a bunch of people felt like taking the morning off. Italians work to live while Americans live to work. A huge difference in our societies! Sooo... the stupid Metro is closed, now what? Well, I guess we take a bus which is much cheaper than a taxi and it was right there. We bought our ticket for 1 Euro each and jumped on a bus. It literally took us 3 minutes to make this decision and get on the bus. 15 minutes later we were off the bus and walking towards the Vatican Museum.

The article also said to steer clear of the people standing outside the Vatican, claiming to be able to help you,"skip the lines with their tours." Sure enoughh there were people along the route telling us there was an hour long wait but that THEIR tour started in just 20 minutes for just a small additional fee. We bypassed them and guess what...we WALKED RIGHT IN. NO LINES what-so-ever! Thank you to whoever posted that little tidbit online!!! IT WAS PERFECT!!!

So, we walked right in, bought our little audio guide and off we went to the Vatican Museum.

We saw many sculptures and paintings. 

This cute little Cherub was wrestling a goose. Me too! I want to play!

Mr. Emporor says, "This way!" Tim says, "No, that way!"

Up the stairs...it says to the Sistine Chapel, but we were still a ways away.

More statues

Serpeant.

I look just like her!

A floor all in Mosaics

A giant birdbath? LOL

This looks like a nice bathtub, I think I will take a soak.

OH, but THIS bathtub is even better! I feel like Goldilocks! HAHA

The ULTIMATE BATH TUB EXPERIENCE! It's big enough for about 20! Who wants to join me? LOL

To be honest, the Louvre Museum was more interesting to me. We did audio guides there as well and they gave more interesting information about each piece; such as where they came from, how they were discovered and what they represented. These audiguides here at the Vatican Museum were more about dates found and...well that's pretty much it. Kind of boring. The pieces were much more interesting to look at but would have been even better given more history.

I am not striking a pose here! I am looking up at whatever the guide is telling me to look at and trying to keep my sunglasses from falling off my head.

At some point, we were both hungry and getting tired so we decided to bee line it straight to the Sistine Chapel. This is the FAMOUS MICHELANGELO work of art and I was totally excited to see it!
Now, keep in mind that ALL of the buildings we have been in so far are all painted up, including the ceilings. They are all really beautifully done and when you stop and think that someone handpainted this stuff a REALLY long time ago, well, it is nothing short of amazing.

Unfortunatley, there are no pictures allowed in the Sistine Chapel. BOO.

I ripped these off from the internet. They give a basic idea.

God giving life to Adam. Interesting how it looks like God is encased in something similar to a human brain.

This one is a really good depictment of what I was seeing.

Anyway, you get the idea.

 It was a rectangluar hallwall in which Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio and others are all featured.  While this is considered to be Michelangelo's crowning achievment, he actually resented painting it. He felt it only represented the Pope's need for granduer. He may have resented being commissioned to paint it, but he still took great pains in his work.  It is said that some days, he would paint all day, but then be unhappy with the result and the next day, replaster (or whatever is the equivalent of erasing) it all and start over. 

The Sistine Chapel is basically a reenactment of the Bible, starting with God creating earth, seperating light from the dark, making man (Adam), woman springing forth from Adam (Eve) and so on and so forth, all the way to the final judgement.  It is very intersting if you can have someone there to explain it all to you frame by frame, which I did fortunately for the most part.


If you are not a super religious person, if you are NOT someone who has studied the bible (like me), it looks like a clusterfuck of paintings, turned every which way. I didn't know where to start and where to end. If that makes me a complete idiot or an uncultured person, then so be it. That's me. I was overwhelmed to say the least. However, I did hear another, older woman, telling her companion how overwhelmed she felt, so maybe I was/am not alone in my feelings about this. That made me feel a little better.


Next, we left the Vatican Museum in search for food. This is quickly becoming my most favorite parts of the day/night! The food is AMAZING here!

Peace Out

MMM A roll. Guess I am starving. Kind of felt like my belly buttom was touching my backbone.

Pasta with Artichokes, Bruschetta and chicken scallopine, which is NOT the same as Chicken Scallopine from Macorini Grill! LOL

Mmm ice cream!

Thes apartment building is really with the times. See the little satelite dishes on the roof? Each one had a line running into a seperate apartment. Very up to date with technology. LOL Maybe I won't e moving here for a while HAHA

Ok smart. Very smart. Bring out the little ones to pan handle. SUCKAAA!!! Whatever, he was a cutie.

Inside St Peter's Square

MMM Ice cream!

After lunch we headed back to the Vatican to actually go INSIDE the Vatican. I was a little nervous because I had heard from a friend to be careful what you wear, because they WILL turn you away if you are dressed inappropriately.  She said she had had on a tank top and was refused entry. Everywhere I looked online just said to dress appropriately. But what the heck does that mean? Should I go buy a Habit? I wore a grey top with my shoulders covered and brought a sweater coverup...just in case.

We went into the Vatican Colonnade, which is St Peter's Square.   

This is the area where you can see all the columns that are 3 layers deep.  When you stand in the circle in the middle, the columns align perfectly so that it looks like there is only one row of them . It was actually really cool!

Stand HERE to see the columns line up perfectly!

See how they are all perfect? It doesn't look like there is more than one row of columns.

I don't think this is Holy Water. LOL

Taking a break. LOL

Damn I love this man!

Next we got in line to go inside the Vatican. Keep your fingers crossed they let me in!


I am exhausted and I had a glitch with my computer while trying to upload all the pics. I guess 300 pics is overload. All my pics from today are all screwed up and in the wrong order. It is 1:30am so I think it is time to quit for tonight and try again tomorrow with a fresh outlook. 


Today has been one of the best days ever!