OK, many of you know I'm from Pittsburgh and thus a huge Steelers fan since birth almost to the point of it being a religious experience. So what better way to spend the whole day both at what has to be the grandest church in the world and also be able to hang out with a group of Steelers fans a few blocks from the Vatican. So I started my day off heading over to the Vatican and again with the help of good ol' Rick Steve's (I should be getting a commission for plugging him) I skipped right past the hundreds of people in line and walked right into the Vatican Museum. I scheduled a guided tour with the Vatican and it was incredible. There were only 5 people in my group so the guide spent almost 3 hours with us totally explaining all the history of the Vatican and showing us all kinds of art, sculptures and mosaics. The whole museum is miles long and we only scratched the surface of it, just incredible. Then after that, I craned my neck for about an hour while listening to my audio guide of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. That Michael Angelo was one talented Italian lemme tell ya! He in essence painted all of Christian history from Creation to the Last Judgement. For those that have been here, you know what I mean when I say how powerful some of the meanings of those paintings are. Just exquisite. All of that was prep for the grand daddy of them all, St. Peter's Basilica. This church is just over the top. And it's not just the church itself but the square outside in front of the church is amazing as well. I also went to the top of the dome and looked out across Rome. Wow, what a view. I included a pic looking down on to the square. I also included a pic of the Pope's pad! In the one with all the windows, his bedroom is the one on the top floor, farthest to the right and his study is the one right next to it. If you look real close at his study window, you can see him flashing me the peace sign! And ya gotta love the outfits of the Swiss guards that watch over the Vatican. And I hope you're all sitting down for this one because I actually stayed for mass and sat in the front pew! It was really an awesome experience with the choir singing and the sunlight streaming in thru the windows... so I've forwarned you if there's a massive lightning storm tonight!! The BIG GUY is still in shock that I was in da house!! After all of that religion, I had to take in my other religion so I stopped by the only Steelers bar in Rome (thanks to my cousin Nick for telling me about it!). I actually had a Steelers shirt on so when the owner saw me, he gave me a big hug and brought me into the bar to meet all these other Pittsburgh people who were all inside partying. What a hoot. We had a blast not only talking about our travels but also talking about the Steelers, Penguins and yes, even the Pirates. I included a pic of the outside of the bar. Well, that was more than enough excitement for me for one day. Hope everyone had a good day. Jeff PS: Here's a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY shout out to my son Danny since today is his 20th birthday! Dan, I know you won't party too hard since you have your college finals coming up that you have to study for but ENJOY!
The Wandering Italian 