Vatican City

A modern art piece.

Sistine Chapel

In the square inside the Vatican.

Apollo I believe

An inspiration to MAngelo

Frescoes everywhere

Modern art piece in the museo

Ceiling of the Map room was awesome.

Tapestry...Jesus eyes follow you through the room.

Sistine Chapel

Last supper by MAngelo

I believe this piece was done by Michaelangelo when he was 24...his first.

     Rome continues to amaze...today the Vatican. With parking in Rome being impossible, Nancy and I decided to continue parking where we knew there would be a space, by the Coloseum. We weren’t sure how far it was to the Vatican but it looked like about 2 miles (3.2 Km)...we had heard the parking in Vatican City was even worse than Rome, so we took the easy way out. Sure enough we found a great spot in 1 pass and then, with map in hand, took off for the Vatican. Nice day and easy walk, maybe 45 minutes. We crossed the Tivere River with excitement, the reward was great sights immediately upon crossing the bridge. As we passed the Castle of Saint Angelo we started getting glimpses St. Peters square in the distance...the closer we got the more beautiful it became. As you enter the square the space seems immense and then you look up and WOW! You do a 360 and smile in every direction...these Catholics really know how to put together a monumental church. 

     Nanc and I had discussed, and decided, to sign up for a tour with the same company we had used at the Collosseum, Palatine Hill and Forum Panarama. If you remember, we loved the young guy for the 2nd half, and were not really happy with the young lady we had for the Collosseum...You guessed it...our tour guide was the young woman we’d had before...I balked to start with (and should have stayed with that thought), but decided since she would be equipped with a transmitter and we would have a receivers, it would probably be alright...wrong...she just isn’t in the same league as the other guy...her dry delivery and just facts , figures and stats narrative is just boring...she doesn’t know how to bring history to life. Anyway we were very disappointed with the tour as a whole and would never recommend this company (SPQR)to anyone else...the equipment sucked, guide would rate about a D-, and the whole experience was very low quality...big promises, no follow through...if this is the best Rome has to offer I should start my own business running tours.

     The Vatican museum and St. Peters Basilica on the other hand, rate a A+, it amazes me that a simple Carpenter, who’s message of love, generosity, and kindness to his fellow man, could be the catalyst for all this. Can you imagine what Jesus would say if he came back and saw all this...talk about missing the mark of his teachings.  The place is crawling with vendors trying to make a buck on any and everything...and the place itself seems to push, push, push for money...Don’t get me wrong that I don’t think the church has done anything right, I do, and I certainly don’t hold myself up as any kind of Expert or Authority, but, I think if Jesus were to come back tomorrow and see all this, the 1st thing he’d say is, “Let’s sell everything and use the proceeds to feed the hunger, cure the ill, and make comfortable the downtrodden...the riches here are beyond value. To think this is where the donations have gone all these years??? Remember, Vatican City is the smallest and riches country in the world and has a population of just under 900 people. 

     On the other side, I’m convinced without the church’s influence a lot of the history of Rome would have been lost...they certainly have been a driving force in recording history and passing it on to future generations. This is the kind of work, I think, should be on the church’s agenda, its a real benefit to all. The treasure trove in the Vatican museum is awesome and could fill every minute of your time for months.  The art work is breathtaking with the most magnificent being the Sistine Chapel...I don’t have the words to describe this work of wonder...Michaelangelo was genius...how’d he do that!