Highlight Vatican Museums

We got Katherine registered in our accommodation and then went up with Yuri for breakfast. I hadn’t booked this, but he offered a ‘freeby’, so we were happy to accept. It was a good buffet with coffee made for in another area of the complex.

Then Katherine and I walked down to the Vatican, via the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. The fountain was crowded as we expected but is still a must see, especially as it was not really much of a detour. I also got information for an earthcache which will be a bonus if correct. The Spanish Steps are not a major for either of us, but I do like the fountain there.

We arrived early at the Vatican Museums and then were a bit cross with ourselves as we would have had time for a coffee or gelato before entering but it was not worth going back out again. However, we sat in a courtyard area, took photos of the panels about the Sistine Chapel and listened to/joined in a conversation between a family from New Dehli and 2 men from Arizona about the heat.

Our guide gave us an overview, that included looking at the panels back in the courtyard. I was expecting this so the photos I had taken in advance were well worth it. The emphasis was on the Chapel being the highlight of the tour, it would be very crowded, come at the end and no photos would be allowed. The celling, which had taken Michelangelo 4 years to paint using a scaffolding technique he developed, had been restored to brighten the colours back to the original and had taken a group of restorer 20 years. The guide said it is the difference between talent and genius.

She also told us that there is no chimney in the chapel. When the papal elections take place, a temporary pipe is installed to carry the smoke up. She later pointed out where it would be, near the doorway that leads to the Basilica.

The quirky things in the frescos were also pointed out. ‘St Bartolomeo’ was a self-portrait of Michelangelo and the ‘Judge of the Underworld’ has the face of one of the Cardinals of the day. We also saw the self portrait of Raphael he had included in a fresco.

The wall, floors and ceilings of all the rooms could take ages to look at, but we were mainly doing a walk through with highlights pointed out. I have done a tour like this before, so some comments I did remember. The tour was a Christmas present for Katherine, and John had decided it would be too crowded for his comfort, which was correct.

The favourite room for both of us was the map room, but sadly this was the case for many people as it was possibly the most crowded. The detail on the maps was amazing and the room finished with a map of all of Italy at the time, which includes parts of what is now France.

I also enjoyed the fresco that represented the famous Greek philosophers and mathematicians. There was Plato and Aristotle, in the centre, one pointing to the heavens and the other to earth and also Pythagoras, Euclid and Socrates are identified in the fresco. This is the one where the features of Raphael and Michelangelo can be seen, and Plato has the face of Leonardo da Vinci. The artists of the day obviously had a playful element in their work.

Both Katherine and I independently took photos of ‘the deliverance of St Peter’. It was in the next room and the fresco just glowed in the middle. Our guide told us that it showed a technique never before used. We liked it a lot. The natural light from the window below was used as part of the vision Raphael had for the fresco. Overall the rooms are overwhelming, so focusing on a few frescos is the way I coped.

We then went through part of the modern art gallery. Here we could see ‘the Thinker’ by Rodin, three pieces by Dali and some work by Matisse, long in store but able to be shown now as the Museum has developed high-tech air conditioning and lighting systems to create the proper atmosphere and protect the very delicate nature of the collection

We entered the Sistine Chapel where we had been told we would have 20 minutes. It is amazing, but the crowds, and especially the numbers talking and taking surreptitious photos, did not add to the atmosphere, with the guards asking regularly for silence. Hence we were not really disappointed to be called out early to hand in our earphones. Many exited via the Basilica but we were sadly both more interested in food as it was 2.30pm. We walked around the walls to find a place for a nice lunch before heading back by metro. John in the meantime had found an Indian place for his lunch but we were very traditional. John had a delicious prawn soup but accidentally bit into a chilly in the bottom and his head nearly blew off!! Fortunately, he apparently managed to maintain his composure

During the day John had been doing research re his phone. He was left with a few options, one of which was to get one sent out from NZ, buy a cheap phone or buy a Galaxy S9 in Germany. Watch this space

Later we all ended up heading for an area where we had eaten with Ailsa and Pete, although we could not find the exact same place. We were made very welcome in a spot near the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica and had an enjoyable meal while we watched the area start to light up. We then had a gentle wander back to the guest house for our last night.