The Vatican

The Pieta

Jim and I really wanted to return to the Vatican. We are not Catholic but we both enjoy the beauty of St. Peter's Basilica and and the emphasis on Christ here. The Pieta is absolutely beautiful and it is hard to imagine that Michelangelo was only 22 at the time he sculpted it. There is just something welcoming about this whole area and we enjoy it very much. The Basilica alone covers seven acres. It is hard to imagine a building that big. It can make you feel so small and insignificant. Here are some of the shots we took.

Approaching St. Peter's parking garage!

Grandma Gloria and Spencer.
Why we like to travel in the winter!
Have you seen this square filled with a million people?

The Fountain in the Square

The sun shining through the window was beautiful!

The Dome from the interior of St. Peter's.

The shadow of the dome from the
top overlooking the Pope's apartment.

View from the top of the Dome of the Papal Coat of Arms.

View of the Obelisk in Vatican Square
from the top of the Dome.

Gloria on the way down the 321 steps~
She is amazing for her age!
With Jim were the oldest and youngest people
climbing the Dome at that time.
Spencer (10) and Grandma (83)!

While they did that, Laura, Ross and I were climbing other summits in the shopping district of Bella Roma! This is when the Bon-Bon bag sprang out of the shop and onto my arm! We had a little Gelato and also bought some ties for the men to put in their stockings from a street merchant!

On our way out of town we wanted to stop on the Appian Way at the catacombs but when we arrived they were closed so we went back to the Naples suburbs and enjoyed our reunion with Robert! It was so wonderful to see him again. Nobody gives a great hug better than Robert!