We spent most of this day walking around Rome, getting used to the
"neighborhood" and getting our bearings for travels over the next few
days. The crowd was small late in the day near St. Peter's Cathedral, so
we dropped in for a look. We will spend more time there later in the week.
|
This is not a normal scene around Rome. It is a group
of actors, posing for some kind of advertisement. |
|
This is a good example of the narrow streets that make up
the city neighborhoods. We walked along these streets quite a bit,
shopping in little stores that line the streets. |
|
Some tourists asked us to take their picture on this bridge,
with St. Peter's Cathedral in the background. We decided this was a
good idea and traded services with them. |
|
Not far from our hotel is this little grocery store.
We thought of Sara and Michael and how much they would enjoy eating these
fine vegetables - notice the asparagus and other greens. Perhaps
this will make our kids happy they are across the sea, far from such
nutrition. |
|
This is one of the Swiss guards that watch over the Vatican
city. For several hundred years, these guards have a strong
tradition of dedicated commitment and professionalism. |
|
This is a poor picture of Michelangelo's "La
Pieta" - it is difficult to get a good image from behind the thick
glass that protects. It is an amazing piece of artwork - I believe
he produced it in his late teen years. |
|
This is Pope Innocent (I'm not sure which one) - he is on
display within St. Peter's Cathedral. Yes, that is actually him,
well preserved, not a horizontal statue. |
|
This is the official list of Popes in the Vatican. It
does not recognize the period of time when there were parallel popes
supported by different political interests in the medieval times. |
|
If you will look very closely at this photo, you can see the
individual mosaic pieces. All the wonderful art in St. Peter's has
been replaced with mosaic replicas, to protect the originals from the
environment. |
|
This is one of the doors on St. Peter's Cathedral. It
is dedicated to Christian martyrs, which are shown crucified or
experiencing other suffering deaths. |
|
This is one of the two large fountains in front of St.
Peter's Cathedral. |