Rome - Italy

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Thursday 29th May - Woke up with a terrible hangover! The last scotch on ice with Tim and Debbie the night before took its toll. Running late I walked over to the Termini Station and caught the metro to Octavia Station and met up with a tour guide for The Vatican City. We collected our audio headsets and went ut into one of the landscaped gardens to the side. Unfortunately the weather was not great so it was a quick look and then back inside for a verbal overview on Michelangelo's artwork that we would eventually see in the Sistine Chapel. We ventured on to the Vatican Museums known collectively as the Polazzo Apostolico Vaticano - it covers an area of over 5 hectares. The musuems contain an astonishing collection of art and treasures collected by the Popes. First stop was the Museo Pio-Clementino which contains Greek and Roman antiquities and its here that one of the most famous sculptures is housed - The Laocoon which was stolen and then recovered (minus an arm) and finally restored at The Vatican. Then on through the Galleria delle Carte Geografiche (Map Gallery) and Galleria degli Arazzi (Tapestry Gallery) which had some gruesome images of men slaughtering babies while mothers did everything they could to fend off the attacks. Downstairs we came to the Stanze di Raffaello which were once the private apartments of Pope Julius II and all the walls are decorated with frescoes by Raphael. Our tour guide (Dave from New Zealand who was in his early 30's) had a phenominal amount of knowledge about the entire musuem and it was clearly his passion with years of studying. The frescoes that interested me most in this part of the Gallery were Raffael's 'School of Athens' with Socrates and Plato in the centre and 'Disputation on the Sacrament'. Raffael cleverly managed to discretely include an image of himself into the artwork in the background and was always the only person actually looking out of the pieces towards the observer. We then walked down the stairs to the Sistine Chapel - the private papal chapel built in 1473 for Pope Sixtus IV. This chapel is famous for the amazing frescoes on the roof by Michelangelo - notably 'The Creation' which is like a rolling film from the front of the chapel to the back and also the 'Last Judgement' on the back wall of the chapel. I then toured alone over to St Peter's Basilica and wondered inside to view the huge dome which reminded me of St Paul's Cathederal in London and finished up outside (in the pouring rain!) at St Peter's Square where the Pope addresses the public every Wednesday at 10am. Had a late lunch at a nice cafe down the street (spaghetti with meatballs) and a half bottle of Italian red before heading back for some much needed afternoon siesta - A long day of walking but well worth it! Woke up around 7pm and headed to the bar I was at the night before and met a group of American girls (again on a tour). I seem to be striking up converstions anywhere I can hear English being spoken - the girls were good value and loved a drink. We watched and then joined into Salsa lessons that were being led by the hottest Spanish girl I have ever seen. Obviously a professional dancer - if only I had the camera to reveal what she was wearing! Home by 2am and off to Venice tomorrow.

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Photos

Vatican City
St Peter's Basilica - The dome is 120m high

Vatican City 7
The famous Laocoon