Wed - still sick

Despite my unwillingness to give into this cold I am physically wearing down.  We went to the Vatican/St. Peter's/Sistine Chapel today.  The Pope had an audience just before we got there, 12,000 were in attendance.  We arranged a spur of the moment guided tour and it was fantastic.  We have been so lucky to have our accommodations provided by my friend Sangita that we don't mind spending a bit more on things like the guided tours and then later in the evening we went on a guided tour of Rome at night via a Segway.  This could not have been more jam packed with beauty and fun.

Courtyard of the Vatican Museum

Top of St Peter"s

Modern art in the courtyard, a world within a world.

Mosaic floor tiles.

This is on a ceiling. It is not a sculpture, rather a flat painting.

A ceiling joining the rooms.

Painting inside a dome.

Michelangelo's Pietre, the tomb of St Peter.  I've wanted to see this for a long time and it did not disappoint.

another ceiling

A door over a basement in St Peter's. wow.

This was the most surprising.  Many altar pieces have these pictorials over them.  I thought they were paintings but Kristina pointed out that they are mosaics. 

incredible.

This sculpture of a pope is only visible from this window and I love the way the bars frame his face.  Note his glasses.

Vatican police.

The wedding cake building, built by Mussolini, it has a better name but it's known as the wedding cake.

side of the Pantheon 

Front of the Pantheon

So much fun!!!