The third day, we forked over the money to be able to tour the Sistene Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica and, with the exception of our last meal in Italy, I think that was one of the best uses of our money. Seriously. Everything about Vatican City is gorgeous. The walk up to the Chapel was long but we managed to see a lot of things along the way. We had the most hilarious tour guide ever and she explained enough things to keep it interesting but left enough up to the imagination so that people weren't falling asleep.
I can't really use my words to explain just how beautiful and grand our walk up to the Chapel was so I'll recap real quick and then use pictures.
1. We saw a giant pine cone which represents fertility. J wouldn't let me leave until I took an embarrassing people in front of it. People were laughing. Obviously. And pointing. Highlight of my day.
2. We saw the most intense bathtubs.
3. We saw things stolen from the Egyptians.
4. Absolutely beautiful pieces of art.
5. Ceiling art that looked 3D even though it was actually completely flat.
6. THE most beautiful tapestries I've ever seen.
You would've thought that all this beauty would've desensitized me a little bit but we hadn't even gotten to the grand finale. Our tour guide (who was an art history major who studied the Sistine Chapel and because of this, was someone I was inclined to believe) told us that the best and
only way of truly appreciating the Sistine was to walk with your head down to the very back and then turn around. There are two reasons for this. The first is that, if you look around as soon as you get in, you'll probably explode. There is just so much art everywhere, it's overwhelming and you'd probably miss the back of the Sistine, which is, in my opinion, just as pretty as the top. The second reason was that the panels on the ceiling were painted in an order that needs to be viewed from beginning to end. And the beginning just happens to be at the back.
So J and I held hands and avoided all the crowds to finally make it to the back. The guards kept yelling 'NO PICTURES' but I was really sly about it and managed to snap a few.
They aren't the best but I do have my shaky hand problem and I was having to be super sly about it. Something that doesn't come naturally to someone like me I'm afraid.
After that, we went and drank from some nifty fountain and went to the catacombs of the popes. I actually refrained from taking pictures there, out of respect for the dead, but it was also an incredible sight in itself. There were piles of letters and flowers by Pope John Paul II and a crowd of people quietly observing from outside the glass. Their reverence was absolutely moving. A few feet down the way (purposefully, perhaps?) was St. Peter. He had the coolest tomb but it was guarded by a few members of the Swiss Guard and about 17 panels of glass so there was no getting close to that.
Afterwards, we made our way to St. Peter's Basilica and admired the architecture and decorations there. Really, this is probably one of the most beautiful places in the world.
I know this is getting absurdly long but I promise this is almost over. I really need to learn to talk less :/ Anyway, after a nap, we went out to Piazza del Popolo which consisted of puddles and this statue also stolen from the Egyptians paired with a lovely fountain but the really great part comes after. J and I were starving (as we normally are) and he let me pick. I usually have a hit-or-miss sense when it comes to food but SOMEHOW I managed to pick the most INCREDIBLE place in the world.
This is not an understatement. I'm enclosing a picture of the name just so someone else can go and joy it. Order the roast chicken and potatoes. I don't know how anything else tastes but this will seriously change your mind. This is the pitch I gave to some people outside (from my college! So weird) who were debating whether or not to eat there. They did and I'm willing to bet that their lives were also changed.
