Friday, October 22, 2010

Friday, October 22, 2010

It should be illegal to attempt to describe the wonders of The Vatican on paper. How can the words of a mere mortal capture the color, the richness, the splendor of such an eddifice? Looking down what seemed like miles of corridor, I was stunned by the beauty of the scene. There are dozens of separate spaces, each with an ornately decorated ceiling, every inch of which is filled with a miniature masterpiece of some sort: here the Angel Gabriel with Mary, there Moses, in the corner a Roman centurian, finally a Pope blessing the children—all in gilts, bright blues, and rich maroons. And this stretches before us forever. And on the walls artifacts of every kind, jeweled silver crosses, papal rings, seats and capes, jeweled scripture covers, even an American flag from Richard Nixon. And there is still the Sistine Chapel. I’ve just done what I said should be illegal, and done a poor job. Suffice to say I, cried when I entered that famous room.

For those of you who have made this pilgrimage, I did NOT walk all of those miles. Even my wonder tennis shoes couldn’t have managed that; no, Jackie and Craig had a wheelchair for me and magic tickets that whisked us past long lines and straight into the Vatican. I was treated so royally by the staff that Craig began muttering, “no pictures, no autographs, please. She is on a private tour.” Well, it did feel like I was a Rock Star.

This is our last night here; it has been an incredible outing, one I never thought I would make. I could not begin to choose from among the myriad of things I have seen which one is my favorite. However, a favorite memory will be the Italian people themselves: warm, happy, friendly, and helpful. The hundreds of outdoor cafes in Rome are filled with people laughing, talking with hands flying and faces registering every emotion. I will hate to leave them and their beautiful country behind in the morning. Love Mom/Barb/G/GG

1 comment:

  1. I am so glad that you got to take this trip! So many fun memories! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Travel safe! Love you!

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