The Best Laid Plans

So Blake has done a wonderful job of planning ahead and getting us tickets to all the attractions. Everything has gone almost according to plan until today. Today was supposed to be a tour of The Vatican museums and a tour of the Excavations under St. Peter's. The problem is, the church scheduled both of them at the SAME TIME!

This morning we got up early and headed to the Vatican Museum to see if we could change out tour. We thought, surely ONE of them would change. After talking to a couple of the least accomodating people we've spoken to the entire time, we decided that one of them was going to have to go. We decided we couldn't come to Rome and not see the Sistine Chapel. So we decided that we would see if we could give away our tickets to the Excavations (which you have to register for months in advance and are some of the hardest tickets in Rome to get). Problem is a) English speaking people are few and far between and b) people think you are trying to steal from them if you go up to them. We had a couple of people run away from us. So after a couple of attempts, we pretty much gave up and headed off to the SAME restaurant we ate at yesterday for lunch (Gnocchi count = 4). Since we were a little early, we sat down on the Fountain of the Four Rivers and took a little break. When I sat down on the fountain I noticed that my ankle was bleeding from a blister...

So yesterday we randomly met a couple from Memphis at the Spanish Steps. We talked to them for a few minutes while we were resting, wished them well and left. It was a pretty brief encounter. While we were looking for someone who wasn't scared of us to to give the tickets to, Blake was like "man those people from Memphis yesterday would've taken them."

While I am sitting on the fountain looking at my ankle the lady from Memphis randomly walks up and hands me a bandaid! What are the chances?! So we decided to give them the tickets, which they happily took. We figure it was meant to be, and we felt a little better about missing what was probably an awesome experience. Karma comes back around!

Also in news of karma, it was BLAKE who was up for target practice today. Yep, the pigeons strike again. They were nice enough this time to poop on his white shirt!

So at 2 we finally entered the Vatican Museums. Below is the picture of the famous staircase that you exit the building on.


We were a little upset about having to give up the tickets to the Excavations, which a priest we talked to described as unbelievable, but the works of art in the Vatican Museums more than made up for what we had missed. Just another reason to one day come back to Rome for more excitement.

The most unique experience of the day was staring up at The Sistine Chapel. It took Michaelangelo four years to paint the chapel ceiling, two of which he laid on his back staring at his blank canvas. The main attraction I felt in the chapel was the enormous wall behind the altar which is the famous fresco "The Last Judgement" also by Michaelangelo. It took him six years to paint the chapel wall some thirty years after the ceiling had been completed. Sorry... the guards in the museum do not allow pictures or talking for that matter... but I know that each one of you can see them in your head.

For those keeping score, here is a list of items that Kristen and I have knocked off the things to see and do before we die list:

1. The Colosseum
2. The Roman Forum
3. St. Peter's Square
4. St. Peter's Basilica
5. The Vatican
6. The Sistine Chapel
7. Trevi Fountain
8. Seeing and being blessed by The Pope

That's just in Rome. Off to Florence in the morning. Give you guys an update then. CIAO!