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| Yours truly standing in front of a damp St. Peter's Basilica |
What an utterly incredible place this is. Hubby and I were gobsmacked when we finally got inside. Several coachloads of tourists had turned up just before us, so they get priority entrance. We had to wait 2 hours! That amazing spiral entranceway, the Sistine Chapel, the beautiful Gardens, the endless antiquities, the maps and globes - all spellbinding. And it made us mad to be truthful, to realise that the Church owned all that knowledge and wealth and kept (keeps) it clasped tightly to their chests, while people have suffered for centuries in poverty and dismay.
Another incredible thing here was that in a café outside the Vatican, Mr P. and I ran into an old work colleague of mine! We had no idea she was in Italy at the exact same time as us. And to think she had decided to go to the Vatican on the same day as us...wow! I really need to see this place again, as you just cannot take it all in, in one go.
Here I am joining in again with Tiffin Fiona from Bite Sized Food Adventures on the monthly travel link. Feel free to jump in with us. We are attacking the letter V this month.
Yes it was truly gob smacking. Mr P especially was annoyed by the map & globe room, where you could clearly see that the catholic church possessed world knowledge a long time before anyone else. It made me angry seeing the greed. But all in all a truly amazing place.
ReplyDeleteTalking about yourself in the third person Mr P? You may need help:))
DeleteI was hanging in Vatican City not long ago. Such an incredible place!
ReplyDeleteYep incredible amazing gobsmacking all that!
DeleteI've never been there but it sounds like a must visit! how funny to bump into your former colleague!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing Lorraine You need to visit several times to soak it all in.
DeleteIt's been such a long time since I was in Rome. We traveled there with John's son and a friend when they were teenagers. We were offered a free tour in English by a South African university professor who was doing more study in Rome. He was padding his paycheck by giving occasional tours. He was so fantastic that we hired him for two full days as a tour guide and extended our holiday. Good stuff.
ReplyDeleteVery cool to meet a friend that far from home.
Hi Maureen
DeleteGreat to see you here. Yes it was amazing that we met up by accident with my colleague in Rome. What are the odds?
I've visited the Vatican twice and though I remember being impressed, I really couldn't tell you what much about it. What I do remember is the first time I visited, it was part of an organised bus tour (21 countries, 16 days etc). We were staying way outside Rome and though we had not paid for the optional trip and tour to the Vatican, the group who did, press ganged the coach driver into also giving us a lift into the centre (Aussies sticking up for their mates). The coach dropped us of and we walked across St Peter's Square, rounded the corner and who did we see? The people who had paid fore the tour in the line directly ahead of us. It was a lesson to me about staying independent (to some extent) and no paying exorbitant 'optional' tour fees unless really necessary.
ReplyDeleteThe Vatican is incredible isn't it? Just stunning and overwhelming. I really want to go back.
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