Thursday, October 26, 2006

Planes, Train, etc. ~ Part 7


Let's try this again, shall we? In the top photo: an ornate entry on an otherwise plain wall, to the Vatican Museum. There are 1400 rooms in the museum, so it is impossible to see them all. They have color-coded routes through specific eras and types of art, and you can choose the route that most do, which leads eventually to the Sistine Chapel.

Second photo: another of those sculptural trees which held my interest. They add considerably to the scenery in Rome.

Third and Fourth: sections of St. Peter's Square. It was impossible for me to get a photo showing the whole building and square at one time. Bernini's Colonnade and the statuary atop the building are both magnificent. In fact, that is a word I was heard to use frequently while in Rome.

The Sistine Chapel does not allow photos, and I didn't buy any postcards to show you. It is smaller than I had thought it would be, and with 400 people crowded in at one time, we felt rather like the proverbial sardines in a tin can. It is noisy, in spite of the fact that it is a Chapel, people talk out loud. At intervals, a guard is heard to shout "Silencio!" and I thought to myself, "he is making more noise than we are". There are benches built into the side walls, but there are too few seats, so we craned our necks backward and looked up, to the fabulous paintings which are Michaelangelo's masterpieces (at least in frescoes). My favorite of his works is the statue of David, but I will write about that when I get to the Florence portion of the trip. I think tomorrow I will begin the photos of St. Peter's Basilica, the opulence of which is not to be believed.

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17 comments:

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Like I said in my previous comment on your last post...THIS IS WONDERFUL! I love those trees..it seems to be an Italian "trademark" sort of, doesn't it?


These picturews and this amazing place is just overwhelmingly wonderful, too, Judy...! HOORAY!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful trip Judy, great photos.

srp said...

I did love Florence much more than Rome. Of course we were busy all day, every day.

Tracie Nall said...

I am really enjoying seeing your trip like this.

That tree really is cool looking.

Michele says hi!

Carola said...

i love seeing where ppl have travelled and what their impression of that place is, just so i can add them to the hugemungeous list of places that i'd love to visit.

thanks so much judes!!! its been great to catch up with where you are up to in life!!

justrose said...

just beautiful. i would love to shout "silencio!"; the word seems so at odds with what i'd be shouting. ;)

i posted today. yeah, i couldn't stay away ... :)

MaR said...

Magnificent! love the way your are sharing your lovely trip :)

Eddie said...

You are a great tour guide.

Beverly said...

Wonderful! Visiting the Vatican is an experience, isn't it. I happened to be there at a time when it was not as crowded as it is now. This was back in 1973.

I was visiting some missionaries in Rome. They said to my friend and me, "Since you don't understand Italian, don't go to church with us. We'll put you on the right bus so you can go to the Vatican."

We did...on the way there, a man said to us on the bus, "Going to see el Papa?" "Yes," we said, and then he said, "Are you Catholic?" "No," we replied, to which he just laughed.

Pat said...

Catching up with the tour. It's like going back in time but your hotel looks far superior to the one we had in the seventies.
We then went off for a week in Amalfi - happy days!

brendalove@gmail.com said...

I thought the official name was "The Vatican Museum, Bar and Grill"?

Carolyn said...

Judy, your photos continue to amaze me! What a trip you had. I might not have ever left, lol!

Susie said...

Loved the pictures of St. Peter's!
It must have been amazing to stand there in that square where we've seen so much history made...

Anonymous said...

Your beautiful pictures evoke many fond memories. Thanks.
I can't wait to get to Florence with you. It was my favorite!

Kristi said...

I am so enjoying these pictures and your recaps! When we were in the Sistine Chapel, the guards kept shouting "No photo! No video!" since apparently people were taking unauthorized pictures. And you're right-they were way louder than any of the tourists.

Sandy said...

I am so jealous. ;) Once upon a time my husband and I had started planning a vacation to Italy. Then we got side tracked by another awesome vacation. We swore we'd get to Italy another year...and then we had kids.

Thanks for letting me life vicariously through you.

Michele sent me to enjoy the photos.

rashbre said...

Lovely pictures. I am slightly surprised to see the main piazza as empty as it appears!