We got up early today and headed for the Vatican to take a guided tour of the Vatican Museum, Vatican Gardens, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. Before our guide arrived we got to see Pope Benedict come out and greet the crowd for his Wednesday blessing. Our guides name was Gabriel (as in the Archangel J) - he has a Masters in Art History and was getting his Doctorate in Theology. What a wonderful tour guide for the Vatican!!! The museum was amazing - the largest collection of Roman antiquities in the world. In the picture gallery (the Pinacoteca) we saw works by Raphael, Caravaggio and Michelangelo. In the statuary, the Belvedere torso inspired Michelangelo in his depiction of Christ in the last judgment on the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
The Sistine Chapel was smaller than I had imagined. The custodians kept yelling silence to everyone so that we would not talk Sistine chapel and we were not ugly Americans. At
St Peter’s basilica was breathtaking! Michelangelo’s Pieta is right as you enter on the right and it is behind glass because a mad Turk tried to destroy it about 15 years ago with a hack saw. Bernini’s bronze baldocchino above St Peter’s tomb was very beautiful.
The tour lasted 7 hours so our feet were quite ready for a rest so for dinner we just stayed in the neighborhood and ate outside at Le Cave Ristorante behind our building.
There are so many outside cafes and restaurants here. There are at least 4 on every block!!! The weather has been hot and humid but at night it cools down and is wonderful for sitting outside with great people watching!!