The Vatican, Sistene Chapel etc....

Okay. I decided that I would count the number of stair steps that I climbed and descended today. By 8 a.m. I was at 472, so I gave up. My guess is that I finished the day close to 4,000. Not counting the two escalators I rode. It's great conditioning though -- and I eat those gelattos guilt free!

Getting into the Vatican is no small feat -- similar to getting on an airplane. Long lines. Lots of waiting. Metal detectors. But once we were in and had our guide, all inconveniences were worthwhile. The Vatican is an independent country, and we saw the artwork collected by the various popes and some of the buildings. The main two buildings were the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. So beautiful I just felt speechless. Our guide was an art expert and we had a very detailed account of everything we were seeing. The Sistine Chapel was stunning and I was surprised at how colorful it was. Mostly, I have seen the close up of Michelangelo's Creation of Man, so I didn't know that he had used such a variety of vivid colors. I really enjoyed the brightness of it all. The Last Judgement at the front of the chapel behind the altar was based on a blue background and he used the faces of many people he liked and disliked (including himself) as characters in the painting. I am sure that Dante influenced him ;-)

St Peter's was huge and ornate. The Pieta (Pity) was in the first chapel on the right as I entered the door; that piece made my visit complete. I love the Pieta and the message to me as a Christian and as a mother is more powerful than I can describe. I just know that I love it and am drawn to it. I decided not to buy a little Pieta statue because it just seems a bit trite or unauthentic to me -- hopefully I won't regret that decision when I am back in Oklahoma.

These things I have learned:
1. Everything is in Latin. (Foreign languages continue to haunt me.)
2. Popes consign lots and lots of artwork.
3. Rome is so very old.
4. Italians have a simple but delicious approach to food.

I have learned and enjoyed other things about Rome, but that's all for now. It's late and we get to start at 7:30 a.m. again tomorrow. Very early for me, but I'll be ready after a soak in the tub and a bit of sleep.