Vatican Museum

Today was an AMAZING day...by far one of my favorites! We went to the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. While we were waiting to meet our guide, we were sitting in the lobby area where a bunch of groups were waiting. This huge group from India in red baseball caps were quite creepy...the men kept staring at us, taking pictures and video taping us!! We said no photos but they didn't listen and supposedly they were taking pictures of the bathrooms...weird!

We then met our guide Leonardo...let's just say we all paid very close attention today and stayed right by his side (he was so cute!) We walked through most of the rooms in the Vatican Museum and it was amazing to see all the sculptures that are in books so close up!

We saw old tapestries, paintings, sculptures and just about everything else! Leonardo was so knowledgeable about everything and gave us little details that I'm sure most tour guides did not know. Later in the tour..he informed us that he was basically the first assistant to Pope John Paul XXIII!! He couldn't stop talking about how nice and generous the Pope was and how hard it was to see him sick with cancer and parkinsons. Supposedly when the Pope died...Leonardo was the one to dress him for his viewing! Even though Leonardo said it was such a hard thing to have to do since he was such a great friend to him, talk about an honor!! He also talked about waiting outside the Sistine Chapel for the conclave to end and it was only him and a few other guys that got to wait and he was the one who locked the doors! He didn't have many nice things to say about Pope Benedict but we all agree with him on that! After the tour I asked for a picture with him (thought of you Mom cause you told me to take pictures of Italian guys!) and then he asked about our studying in Rome...and then offered to take us on Vespa rides!! He gave us his email and we are totally going to take him up on that offer!

Today was one of my favorite days so far...the Vatican is truly an amazing place to visit. Everyone else went to Harry Potter tonight and just a few of us are left here at St. Stephens...I'm exhausted so I think I'm just going to call it a night in a little while...talk to you soon!