Entering St. Peter's with my parents was an experience I find it hard to put into words. The awe and appreciation that is written all over everyone's face is so moving. The best part about it is that someone of any denomination can walk into St. Peter's and be completely captivated by its beauty and the architectural wonder. The history that pours out of every orifice, and (get your throw up bucket because I know this will make you want to barf) the love. To experience a universal love of a supreme being - from either an outsider, whether it be a different religion, atheist, or agnostic looking at a large sect of humanity and the power of worship, or the individual who is worshiping themselves. There wasn't just 'practicing catholics' inside St. Peter's. There were people of all denominations from all over the world there to acknowledge and pay respect to any plethora of things (religion, art, history, architecture, geology, anthropology). To know that every individual who goes to St. Peter's regardless of motive has an experience that's right for them and fulfills the wonder and excitement and awe is something that I've found a hard time trumphing.
Next we headed over to the Vatican museum. My dad wanted to bail when he saw the line, but I made him stick it through. If the lines are crazy now, I can not wrap my mind around what it would be in the summer/high season.
What should really happen is this- someone should be on the side giving you the 'inside scoop' of what you're about to do. We didn't get a tour guide- STUUUPID. There was an absurd amount of art. Really, so much art it's almost over stimulation. It's all amazing, old as time itself, and a centimeter from it stands another sculpture or painting and another. Someone also needs to let you know that they have the whole museum set up in a continuous flow that will eventually lead to your exit. I have to hand it to the Vatican, that is the most deliberate and carefully executed museum I have ever been to. By their choice, you see everything that they want you to in the manner and direction that they want you to because everything is only a one way road. It was as if a Tiber full of people gushed through the halls of the Vatican museum and carried us through. We knew we wanted to give appropriate attention to the Sistine Chapel, so we thought we'd take care of that towards the beginning.
HA!! Who were we kidding?!? The Sistine Chapel is very near the end, and I really think we viewed the museum like we had fire in our pants. Then we get to the Sistine Chapel, and it's like, 'wait a minute! I want to get back? What's this?.. I.. but..' and so it was. It took over an hour to get there, which is probably a record for fastest time through the Vatican museum. Then we were essentially stuck. There was NO way of getting back through the river of people. The most EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF ART in the world (as Rick Steve puts it, the Vatican hoards a brilliant collection of the most famous art in the world). Despite the fact that the battle was lost, I still enjoyed the way out. The tapestries, sculptures, and paintings are far too surreal. You're looking at a Michelangelo and you just can't grasp that THIS IS IT. It's really it. That in conjunction with the history behind him as an artist is enough to fill your thoughts in even the darkest hour.
Now I need to say something that I should not share. I know Erik won't mind because I'll disclaim it. I am the clutz. Me. Not him. I trip over side walks, drop my sun glasses like they should be attached with elastic, and more often than not make a job out of being clumsy. HOWEVER(!!!) and this is a great, glorious however, on our way out of the Vatican walking down the bronze double helix winding ramp (similar to a winding stair case, with stairs in some places, a ramp in another) Erik was smitted down by our dear lord.
There were two HUGE signs that said STEPS. This wouldn't make a whole lot of sense because we were still on the ramp part and the steps were indescirnable from the flat ramp. Erik was the unfortunate one of the four of us to go first, and he struck the ground in a similar fashion to a baseball slide. He looked back at me with a NEW look. Erik and I have been together for THREE years, and I got a NEW look. It was shock. Pure baffled shock. A millisecond later he burst into uncontrollable laughter, he was fine and had a great sense of humor about it. I followed in step, laughing ALL DAY LONG. Erik slow motion wiped out on the Vatican stairs. Now THAT is a memory.
We added it to my parents Italy diary as "Erik smooth feet smitted down by God in the Vatican city."
What a good, good day.
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