The Vatican

Yesterday, we spent most of the day going to the Vatican museum and St. Peter's Bascillica. Phew! Good thing that there wasn't very many people there or I might have become IRRITABLE AND BITCHY! The amount of people waiting to get in was astounding. Ryan had gone online before hand and found a tour that was a couple Euro mores than the regular fare, giving us access without having to wait in the line. People start lining up at the crack of dawn and if you start lining up past 10 a.m., there is a good chance that you don't even make it in! So yet again, I was reminded that it's a good thing one of us plans.


Here is a picture of the courtyard inside of the Vatican. The surrounding buildings you see there are all filled with art... mostly statues but along the way there are paintings, etc. until you eventually arrive at the Sistine Chapel. It was pretty incredible seeing it first hand. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, otherwise I would have posted one of the ceiling. Of course, there were those select few dumb-ass tourists that took pictures anyway. I could almost hear them rationalizing in their heads 'Oh surely they won't mind if I just take one!' Ummm... YES THEY WILL! I was also thinking 'Honey, what makes you think that you are going to get a better picture with that piece-of-shit disposable Kodak camera than one you can get off the internet? Anyway, we just tried to think happy thoughts and stay away from those people.


Here is Ryan inside one of the many hallways leading to St. Peter's Bascillica.


And another one... (after awhile, they start to look the same... which is horrible. You start feeling really guilty at about hour 4 because you're like "ya, ya... another incredibly detailed, gold leafed, 3 mile hallway. Is there a restaurant in here?")


I am standing outside St. Peter's Bascillica here. When the Pope was getting ready to kick off, this is where the millions of people were waiting to see the puff of black smoke... we also climbed to the very top of that dome. Things would have bit a whole lot more comfortable had we worn shorts but we weren't allowed to. They won't let you into the Vatican unless your shoulders and knees are covered. Not very condusive to 30 degree weather. To top it off, 2 minutes after we left the hotel in our taxi, Ryan quietly says "Um... I forgot to put on deodorant." Awesome. For both of us.


This is one of the wings of St Peter's... to give you and idea how enormus this place is, take a look at that bright yellow light straight ahead. If you click on the picture (to enlarge it) you will see there is a dove in that light. The dove alone is 6 feet tall.


Here we are getting close to the top of the dome. The higher you go, the more angled it becomes. So... think about this scenario... 30 degrees, long pants, swarms of people, hundreds of steps... and no deodorant. Awesome.


Here is a view down to the floor from the inside of the church (the grate was really small, but you get the idea). HUGE. The top of the dome to the floor is longer than a football field.


A view from the outside, looking down to the courtyard I have a picture of me standing in, above.


A self portrait of the two of us, ready to drop over the railing from heat exhaustion, but having an amazing time. That's all for now!