St. Peter's Square

When the gathering in the square ended we still had almost an hour until St. Peter's Basilica re-opened for tours. We returned to the Vatican bookshop where parts of the building were air-conditioned. There amid the icons and beads for sale I found the commercialization of the Catholic religion a bit disturbing but at least I was able to sit down by an air conditioning vent and use a clean bathroom for free. Eventually we returned to St. Peter's Square where we were stuck in an enormous line. Our local tour guide did a commendable job of keeping our group together. He pushed, cajoled and shepherded our group through the turnstiles and up to the entrance of St. Peter's. This view is what stands behind you as you enter the Basilica.