Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2005 14:47:41 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Mission accomplished! (this is a long one, you've been warned....)

Buona sera,

Where to begin.....

Today was the first and probably the only bright and sunny day in Rome on this
trip. I made full use of it. I left the motel at around 10 or 11, and took the
metro to "Ottaviano" stop, directly north of Vatican City.

Vatican City = smallest country in the world; smallest population of any
country in the world (approx 900); and lowest birth rate in the world
(hmmmmmmmmm...)

On my last trip, I had been to the Vatican Museums (including the Sistine
Chapel) but not St. Peters Basilica. So that was high on my priority list for
this trip. By the time I finished lunch and reached there, the line to go in
extended from the basilica around the entire northern half-circle and into the
southern half-circle of St. Peter's Square. But at least it was moving quickly,
and I was through security within 1/2 hour. There was a free english tour of
the Basilica just starting at that time, so I joined that. The guide said it
would take 40 minutes -- it ended up taking more than an hour, and was
EXCELLENT! This guy was from Washington D.C. but he knew his stuff!

The tour was through the entire church, giving info on all the important pieces
of art/religious sculptures inside. As most of you know, Michelangelo's "Pieta"
is there, as are several of Bernini's and others' sculptures... statues... I
was very impressed with the whole church (more on that later)...

It's the largest church in the world, fittingly.... containing many of the
relics from early Christianity... St. Peter's throne, a piece of the True
Cross, Renaissance-era statues of several saints and Popes... Everything was
mind-blowing to me! And of course the whole place is BEAUTIFUL! Marble, bronze
and gold everywhere... and the two largest bronze sculptures in the world
(Bernini's altar canopy and the Apse, including the bronze "Chair of St Peter"
inside which is the wood and ivory chair of the actual St. Peter.

Better than any other church/cathedral I've ever been to just for the
historical significance alone... and more so for the stunning beauty of it! I
have 2 pictures (on my website a few minutes after I send this) of sunlight
shining through two of the windows in Michelangelo's main dome -- they've come
out beautifully!

After the tour I went back inside and took some more pictures of everything ...
Pope Alexander VII's monument -- by Bernini again -- apparantly he was so
obsessed with death and going to God that he kept his future coffin under his
bed. So the sculpture is him praying for death, with a skeleton (Death) waving
an hourglass at him!

More pictures of The Pieta too.. The statue of Virgin Mary holding Jesus after
his death, but its meant to signify a vision she had about him when he was
born.. so her eyes are not facing his head but his stomach -- where the baby
Jesus's face would have been. Our very informative tourguide mentioned that
this sculpture has been attacked and vandalized twice in its lifetime.
Michelangelo scultped this when he was 25, and at the time nobody believed he
could have done that. So one day the crazy kid took a knife and carved into
Mary's chest "I am Michelangelo and I made this". Then in 1972 another madman
attacked it screaming "I am Jesus Christ and that does not look like my
mother!" So he chopped off Mary's nose and fingers with a hammer. Since then,
it's been restored to the original and kept behind bulletproof glass.

Pope John XXIII's body is also there, along with many other popes... He has not
decomposed at all since he passed away in 1965. He's on his way to sainthood.

Good stories... excellent tourguide. 10 euro tip given for the "free" tour.

I tried to go up to the dome -- but the line was too long and there was a sign
next to the end of the line: "Cupola --->" and "John Paul II tomb <----"...
Well that was completely unexpected. I took the left turn and went downstairs,
where most of the Popes are buried. Saw all their tombs -- some are very
prominently displayed and others are... well, not. John Paul II was also there,
right next to his predecessor, and there was a big crowd there praying, some
weeping silently... Everyone absolutely quiet. "Ionnes Pavlvs PP.1" and "Ionnes
Pavlvs PP.2".

A little further down was Saint Peter himself, or what's left of him.
"Sepulcrum Sancti Petri Apostoli" -- not sure if its exactly the same spot he
was crufied, or if that's where they found his bones next to a wall. Either
way, that felt quite remarkable to actually see it.

After coming out of the crypt I made my way back to the beginning of the line
to the dome. Cupola. (why not Duomo?) One of the Security guards there (not the
Swiss guard -- just "regular" security) said the wait would be about 1/2 hour.
Fine. I've come all this way...

Elevator to the roof of the Basilica. Then 320 steps up to the top of the Dome.
I handled that much better than I thought I would. But at the top, the crowd
was so thick in such a tiny space that I didn't stay there very long. I
literally had to push my way through people to either get a good photo view or
step an inch at a time to the right or left towards the steps back down. After
coming back to the roof of the Basilica, took some more pictures there very
comfortably -- no big crowds. Then the elevator back down again.

Well, it was dark outside by now.

I wasn't finished yet.

I went BACK INSIDE the church, and went to the Treasury. No pictures are
allowed inside, but I thought it was well worth the 4 euro fee. (by the way the
Basilica itself is free). This contains a lot of donations given between
various emperors/popes/cardinals/heads of state. Gold chalices, etc -- things
of that nature. Very nice! Also the huge bronze tomb of Sixtus VI.

The whole place -- the entire Basilica -- was getting to me! I'm not Catholic,
I'm not even that religious, but there is definitely SOMETHING about that
place, that I haven't felt about any other churches or temples I've been to!

After yet another round around the basilica, I walked back out. It was
completely dark outside.

I decided to walk back to my hotel. From the Vatican all the way across Rome to
near the Termini station is about a 1 1/2 hour walk if done non-stop. This is
such a great city, so many things are there within those 1.5 hours!

I stopped by at Piazza Navona -- one of the main piazzas in the city. Had
dinner there at a "Sunnyvale/Paris-type restaurant" (heheheh) that was COZY to
say the least! But at least they had put those heaters outside so it was
comfortable to sit outside and eat. I overheard an entire conversation of the
couple sitting in the next table! Not that I was eavesdropping....

Anyway, next stop was the outside of the Pantheon - a 5-minute walk from
Navona. Then on to Trevi fountain again... one more gelato... obligatory euro
coin tossed over my shoulder into the fountain (I *WILL* come back to Rome
again).... then back to the hotel.

It's been a long day.... It's been a long email. But I think today really was
something special!

The weather forecast tomorrow calls for rain in the evening...

Tomorrow is also my last full day in the Eternal city (on this trip).

I'll end this email with something that I told a few of you on IM:
I think Rome is my favorite city in Europe, even more than Paris.....at least
until I go back to Paris and change my mind again!

St Peters Basilica, Vatican City:

Piazza Navona:

Pantheon and Trevi Fountain:

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