Based on the title of this post, you can tell that today was pretty packed. Since most of the things I saw were more visual than not, I am going to post an absolute ton of pictures, and pipe in if I have something to add.
To be honest, there's not much I can say that will make these pictures any more amazing (not a self-horn-toot, but a comment on the subject matter) than they already are.
This is Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam in the Sistine Chapel. Come on. It was pretty surreal (the moment not the style, ha) and even with a room full of people being told to be quiet but who weren't at all and who were shoving people like a preschool playground, it was a very great few minutes.
This is more of the full room, and I have absolutely no clue how any of this is possible. Both the stunning art, and the fact that I got to see it.
The remaining ceilings (until otherwise described) are from throughout the museums of the Vatican.
They are breathtaking, and that s pretty much all I have to say about that!
This guys suit of armour is very, very impressively realistic, and really stood out to me given the light colours used in the rest of the paintings.
The next four are part of a massively long hallway, and the entire thing is painted in such an elaborate, incredible way, with mini sculptures mounted on the ceiling throughout.
This shows just the end of the long hallway.
Some beautiful dome art, which I'm sure it actually called something supremely more intelligent!
Once you've walked through the Vatican museums, and enter the Sistine Chapel, you have an option to exit left or right. I didn't know that, and I went left, because the other door (right) had a big "do not enter" symbol on a sign near it. Cool, you got it, I'll go left.
I go left, and see a bunch more of the Vatican museum(s). Then I knew I wanted to see St. Peter's Basilica, so I asked someone who worked there which way I should go. They said, "Through the Sistine Chapel and make a right."
Oh man.
It was either go through the whole 30 minutes in insane crowd again and make a right instead of a left, or go outside, and stand in line for 1.5 hours for another ticket.
Clearly I chose to go through the whole thing again, but boy was I not all that chipper about it. I'm more than happy to see the work again, but think Toronto streetcar at 8:15am when there's just been a backup of ten streetcars, and you get on the first one of the ten to arrive. And then try to get to the door to leave.
Whatever, I went all the way back through, and in the end, I think it was worth it.
This is the exterior of St. Peter's, which I actually took a picture of after leaving the basilica, but this makes more sense for setting up the images you'll see of the inside.
It's really very, very impressive!
The size of the structure in the middle is squashed by any photography. It's huge, and stunning, and elaborate and brilliant.
The detail is almost painful to look at. How is it possible? I don't get it.
As I left, I can across these guys. These adorable, spectacularly-clad guys. They stood there, just like the guys from Piazza Venizia yesterday, and didn't move.
In those outfits! Love!
A bit more close up, because, amazing!
And then it was time to figure out what the one last thing I wanted to see before the sun started to go down. In an attempt to beat the sunset, I took a taxi across town and chose to go to the Spanish Steps.
They were closed. The steps were closed, after a 17€ taxi ride.
How do you even close stairs? And note the scaffolding with our good friend Daniel Craig on it?
Yeah, the Spanish Steps were a bust. But oh well, can't win them all.
The fountain right behind them is still beautiful though!
And this adorable bird sidled up to a rose that landed in the water was too cute.
And that's Rome, well, what I got to see of it. Short of something super-cool happening in Rome tomorrow before I get on my train, the next time you'll hear from me should be from Venice, hopefully tucked into a comfy bed in my next AirBNB apartment.
Nighty night everyone!
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