Rome - day 2

Day 2 - a trip to the Vatican and its museum.

Turns out the museum is actually free one day a month - and what day were we there on - the free day. Woohoo. Meant the queues were a bit longer but we got up quite early and only had to queue for a few hours. Well worth it for everything you get to see.

Calendar outside showing when it's free to get in.

The queue. Down the street and around the corner.

Once inside, we ran around checking this and that out. It was just too much to take in. This was me posing with the Nile (I think).

My angel, posing with, well, a hall of statues.

What I shall call, the wall of busts.
And seeing as my parish back home is St Pius X, I was happy to come across a plaque on the floor to him.



Now, believe it or not, this was a tapestry. It is the size of a normal wall, and there are about 50 of these in one hall - massive bastards!



The DETAIL of these paintings on the ceiling of this hall... whew... each one a masterpiece.

I enjoyed this one... the inscription above is 'Non Nobis Domine, to O' da gloria (sorry for my Latin spelling) which was my school motto at Plumstead High (Not unto us O Lord - to you the glory). Was cool to see it in one of the world's most famous places.




The Sistine Chapel.

Walking out afterwards... this staircase was made so that whoever could ride horses up it.



Outside in St Peter's Square. We needed some gelati after such a lot of walking.



A few fountain photies. Cath was willing to rest now... poor pregnant woman, carrying around a sack of potatoes. So I went for a quick wander to Castel St Angelo.

Back at St Peter's, scene of the masses when the Pope speaks.




I think this was his window. If not some old woman is going to be really P$%^&ed off at me for taking snaps at her window.

Looking at the bascilica.



The Swiss guard at the Vatican. Go ahead laugh, they can kill a man in 247 different ways. Go on, laugh.

We went downstairs to the tombs - once again, we should have paid to get in but there was no-one there taking money ...excellent.

Pope John Paul I. Photos strictly not allowed. Oops. John Paul II had a bunch of people around his tomb.




Inside the bascilica... we went for Mass.

Inside, looking towards the altar.

Behind the altar.

After mass, looking out from the bascilicaover St Peter's sq.



And looking back.



The mega-babe.