A Different State

This morning, I hop a tram to the stop closest to Vatican city. The walled city constitutes a separate state, where only about 800 people live. I booked a guided tour of the museum, which has over 4 miles of exhibits and includes the Sistine Chapel. Security is faster than expected, so I have 20 minutes to kill before the tour guide will even check us in. Obviously, that's time I spend reading the gay dragon book and not being struck by lightning. Once the tour starts, it's a bit of a whirlwind through many, but not all galleries.

This is the most crowded place I've been since Covid started, and if I didn't have a headset to return, I'd probably run for it. The tour ends at the turn into the chapel as you aren't supposed to speak or take pictures. The guide suggests we explore more of the museum after, including the carriage house. She neglects to mention that across the hall from the entrance to the Sistine is a small room with a Rodin and a Van Gogh. Luckily, I don't know right from left, so I find it.

The Sistine Chapel itself is amazing and I'm glad I braved the crowds to see it. There is so much of it. I just stare until my neck hurts. If this was the only piece Michelangelo had created, he would still be famous. Somehow he was a degree of prolific that is just staggering to consider. This took him less than 5 years. Don't ask how long it takes me to paint a house.
And then I go look at pope mobiles.

The walk up the ramp out of the garage both makes me glad I did some endurance walking leading up to this trip, and assures me that even though entry to the Basilica is free, I will 100% die of heat stroke if I try to wait in line for it. I head back towards the hotel instead, and wander through tourist shops and gelato places until it's time for my next adventure, the Vicus Caprarius, an archeological site under one of the buildings near Trevi fountain.

This is an interesting, but short stop, leaving me with plenty of time before my dinner reservations. I scan google maps for things to do and find the Capuchin Museum, which includes an Ossuary. That means they do bones. Photography isn't allowed here either, sadly. This is such a strange and beautiful place. I've been looking at some of the best art in the world on this trip, but this is probably my favorite stop. They buried monks in soul brought from near Jerusalem and digging up the bones let them give other monks the chance to be buried in the same soil. Someone in the group when we were still at the villa had suggested Europeans were better at accepting death as part of life than we are. Point taken.

Next up is a quick trip to the Spanish Steps, where I intend to catch the metro towards dinner.

It's unexpectedly closed. Even though I'm American, I manage to not throw an electric scooter down the steps over this. It's just a short walk to Tazio anyway. This is another fancy meal. I'm not going to post all the courses since this post is already so photo heavy.

The olive oil served with the bread is pressed from olives harvested at night. I have no idea why. The wine is excellent with every course, but I probably should have done 5 instead of 7 courses. I manage this dessert, which is coated in strawberry powder, but the second dessert will be breakfast the next morning. Like I planned it, as I'll be heading out before the hotel breakfast starts.