On our last day we spent our time touring all of Vatican City, starting with a guided expedition through the necropolis. We were among the first to arrive, however, the four of us got separated due to the limited size of groups allowed per visit. My parents' tour started at 9:00 and Julie and I were slated to depart a half-hour later. Visiting the site must be similar to a pilgrimage for Catholics, however; to a member of the chosen people and a heathen - the experience was an enjoyable venture through an archaeological site.
Colonnade
Saint Peter's Square
Columns, while waiting for tour
Worst camouflage ever
Was shooed away after taking this picture by Signor Blazer
Heading towards necropolis
The the first grave encountered was a sarcophagus, exquisitely engraved with the Egyptian gods and allegorical legends - most notably Horus (ironic comparative mythology given the location). Our guide was a British gentleman with a captivating accent and a Shakespearean affinity for the dramatic. This made parts of the tour very moving - well, at least to two middle-aged women in our group. Between the two of them, I (unofficially) counted 600 gasps and 66 hand-over-the heart moments - a beastly total.
Observing architecture while waiting
and again...
and again...
My favorite "gasp moment" came when our guide read the epithet of a pagan grave, "Dedicatus tous Daedalus Scrotus, nervo argumentus." If you know Latin, you know that I don't, but the translation read, "here lies my brother, he never argued." Personally, I wasn't emotionally moved, rather; motivated - immediately requesting Julie to ensure my epithet reads, "my husband, he always argued." The tour continued, observing numerous Mausoleums of Pagans, Romans, and patrons of other faiths. Many were adorned with beautifully preserved statues, mosaic tiling, and fresco paintings. The final stop of the necropolis, the (presumed) bones of Simon-Peter, a pristine excavation and an important relic for Catholics.
Top of Bernini's baldacchino
The bronze of this baldacchino was melted down from the Pantheon
more garish decor
Our tour ended around 11:00, but my parents were no where to be found upon exiting. Suddenly, we became a search party, nearly alarming the Swiss Guard of our current Silver Alert. Unfortunately, during our scramble, we skipped most of the attractions in Saint Peter's Basilica, namely Michelangelo's Pietá. After an unsuccessful reconnaissance in the Basilica, we scoured Saint Peter's square where our efforts were equally fruitless. It was clear, my parents deserted us - it was noon and we had to meet someone at a local Metro stop at 13:00 for our private tour of the Vatican Museum.
Altar under baldacchino
View of the nave
Cathedra of St. Peter, Bernini's Cathedra Petri and Gloria
We came to the conclusion that my parents were on their own and we needed to find lunch. Above all, everyone knew where to meet for the second half of our day. As we ventured the streets of Rome, we found a pleasant delicatessen where Julie and I planned our navigation to the meeting point. One problem, my parents had the maps and we were left with using the GPS tracker on Julie's phone - a mere blue dot on a grid with no street names. For twenty minutes, I aimlessly followed Ponce de Jul-Leon through the streets of Rome. At one point, I considered giving up and becoming a Roman street-rat myself - all I would need to do is rummage dumpsters looking for some undesirable scarves and "selfie" holders. Alas, we found our way to the appropriate location where my parents were waiting for our our arrival.
Dome
Either you have a lot of money or know someone to get married at the Vatican
Saint Pullus Mi Fingerus
While at the Metro stop we found out that my parents waited for us a whole thirty minutes after their tour ended before they decided to move on for the day. They were clearly trying to get rid of us, ditching us at the Vatican - they may say otherwise, but the way the facts lie, they left us. Either way, we met our new guide for the day and were headed back towards Vatican City.
The Vatican Museum has a collection that could take days to see everything, but our private tour focused solely on the "main artworks." The tour ends with a visit to the Sistine Chapel, and my only grievance for the day - the lack of allowing pictures inside (being a fresco painting, no flash would be understandable). In the nature of Catholicism, the restriction isn't religiously motivated, but money driven - you can purchase a variety of pictures of the ceiling as souvenirs.
Vatican Museum, statues of Michelangelo and Raphael
Hallway inside the museum
Helena's sarcophagus - Constantine's mother
Ceiling painting made to look three-dimensional
Fontana della Pigna, also used to belong to Pantheon
In three days, we toured most of Rome and Vatican city - we were pleased to have worn out our welcome. We were ready to move on to the second city on our tour of Italy, Florence.
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