Vatican/Sistine Chapel

So here’s the thing about glamping without a car. These campsites are naturally on the outskirts of town making getting to and fro quite the chore. It has consistently been taking us between one and two hours to get there and back via bus/train.

Ah the consternations of trying to be a cheapass:). Word to the wise for my fellow cheapskates, if you choose to glamp outside a major European city, get a car. You can argue it would defeat the point of trying to save money and you would be right. 🤷‍♂️ C’est la vie.

Traveling with Brits. First off, it’s bloody great, but the language differences can be hilarious, especially given that we are speaking the same one. Crisps are potato chips, chips of course are French fries, our camper is a caravan, your underwear are knickers and a car’s trunk is the boot. Just put your bags in the boot would ya. Anywho.

Vatican City, which is its own city state within Italy, and is the smallest city state in the world, encompassing a whopping 121 acres of land. It is overseen by the See (that’s the Holy See to you:), which are the bishops. Fun fact, according to Economic Times, did you know that the Pope gets paid $32,000/month for his papacy? Good ol’ Pope Frank donated his salary, hey, what a guy.

Our tour started at 8:30am, which meant that we had to get up at 5:30am to catch a bus at 6:15am because it was going to take us an hour and a half to get there. Have I talked about glamping:)? We stopped off for the most amazing chocolate croissant and Americano 😋.

The Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel is what I would expect to see if I were to witness the after effects of an ecclesiastical wet dream. Every square inch is covered in some type of religious votive, often to God, but also to Popes of years gone by.

It’s overwhelmingly impressive. The sheer size and volume of the church makes it all the more remarkable. It took Michelangelo alone four years to paint the fresco in the Sistine Chapel, let alone all the other magnificent pieces of art. Fun fact, Michelangelo initially declined the Pope’s request because he considered himself to be a sculptor, not a painter.

Though beautiful, Michelangelo’s painting is just one of many of equal beauty. The hallways leading to all the rooms are so ornate, you would think the mythological Midas had touched each one. The amount of money that the church undoubtedly spent on all of this artwork is, much like many of their beliefs, out of this world. Sometimes it is difficult for me to get past how much better this money could be used for society, but such is the way of religion.

Despite all of this, it really was a wonderful day and a spectacle to behold.Baca lagi