Day 6 – St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museum

 

What a beautiful day.  A tad chilly for how we packed, but the glorious art makes a lengthy walks worth it.  Getting 12 people all moving in the same direction takes some real organization.  However, it can be done and we left and headed up to the Vatican.  St. Peter’s Colonnade was essentially the same as yesterday with a long arced line of people waiting to get in, locals ‘just passing through’ and street vendors all trying to sell you the same postcards, squeezy balls, and “really authentic Prada” purses… all for a “good price”.

We got in line and it moved fairly quickly through security and up the steps.  There is something truly beautiful about the Cathedral.  Art, statues, even embalmed Popes in various nooks.  We were finally able to get a picture of the kids near the Jubilee Door, which is right next to the Pieta.  You know, the fact that he painted it by the age of 23 … it’s just STUNNING.  Pictures just don’t do it justice.

Several statues, lots of reliefs, magnificent architectural design… stairs going underground… it’s just truly something to be experienced.

Back home again for lunch and a short break.  DN went down for a nap with BIL (who had something wrong with his heel) and then the members of The Magic Homeschool Bus, SIL & MIL 2 opted to journey to the Vatican Museum (or more commonly referred to as “that long walk to get to the Sistine Chapel”).

Ordinarily when you journey to this particular Museum the line goes down two streets, around 3 corners and nearly back around to St. Peter’s Square… but, if you wait until the afternoon… in the spring… the line essentially disappears.  And that’s exactly what we found.  We journeyed from the apartment, through the Square, around the side, down 2 streets, around 3 corners (passed a dozen or 2 street vendors that Sweetie tells us are still all trying to sell the same 5 things)… and we’re at the museum entrance.  The lower level of the ticket area is CROWDED… but this is the area for those that paid an extra 5 Euro to not have to wait in line… suckers.  We have to make our way through security, up the escalator to the 2^nd level ticket area… and there’s NO LINE.  WOOT!  Make our way through… and we’re in.

The museum is done as a progressive timeline of art history collected by the Vatican.  It starts with lots of Greek/Roman statues of gods & emperors (mostly in large pieces)… and then you get into the mosaics and large simpler statues (even from Egypt)… and finally, you get into the Renaissance area.  LOTS done by Rafael, Tapestries, really impressive.  What the kids really noticed was that art itself really progressed in scope, style and substance from the ancient Roman gods to the Sistine Chapel.

Speaking of the Sistine Chapel (no, we weren't able to get pictures)… when you walk in, you don’t realize where you’re going… so it’s breathtaking when you see it.  The lights are off, but if you hit it at the right time they turn on the lights for 1 minute (we’ve been lucky before, but we missed it this time).  Still, the crowds linger more and more in that room.  With a party of 8, it’s somewhat difficult to admire the walls of Rafael, the ceiling of Michaelangelo AND keep up with everybody.  At some point during our awe we realize we’re missing Boo Boo.  A minute or so later MIL2 tells us she can’t find SIL.  Oh dear… The principal walks the perimeter… he can’t find them… we send Buddy around to find them… he can’t find them either.  The Chapel really doesn’t cover a lot of square feet (it’s not a large Chapel)… we’re starting to get a teensy been concerned.  The Principal decides that we’ll head on into the “2^nd area” of the Chapel, and if they’re not there, we’ll see if they’ve exited the Chapel… or we’ll call the Carabinieri (police).  The Principal, the other 3 kids and MIL2 head in that direction, I flag down a Carabinieri guy at the first door and ask if he speaks English.  Not much... this is going to be even more interesting.  So I tell him that I’m missing one of my children that WAS in the chapel, he’s 12, about “this tall”, brown hair, jeans… and I’m trying to come up with the Italian word for “striped” to say, “blue striped shirt”, when the Principal comes around the corner to say that he’s found them.  Apparently SIL had an episode of vertigo and needed some help, Boo Boo saw her, and helped her leave the Chapel and stayed with her taking care of her.  He didn’t have a chance to find us and come get us.  Makes a Momma’s heart melt.

We venture into the “modern art” sections and decide that we prefer the Rafael’s & the Michaelangelo’s to the “modern art stuff”.  Go figure.  By this time all our feet are KILL.LING.US.  I heard somebody say that the walk is the equivalent of a 5K… and how all our feet felt… that may be true.  We now have to walk home and decide the gelato of the day will have to wait.  Those that didn’t go see the condition of our feet and decide that they don’t envy us that part of the adventure.

 

Some take a nap, some don’t… dinner was traditional pancetta & potatoes… DE.LI.CIOUS!  After dinner, even though it’s getting a little chilly, most of us opt to head out for gelato.  We’re blessed to have several gelaterias nearby, but so far we keep venturing to the same one.  Back home… off to bed… hopefully the rest will help everybody’s feet..