The Holy See

The Holy See - The Vatican City.

On a beautiful sunny August morning in 1999, my two friends and I arrived in Rome, Italy.

We checked into our hotel in the Vatican City. A place full of old world charm.

The long journey made us a bit weary. But we were so excited to be in Italy, and we were determined to make the best of our short stay at the Vatican City.

The hotel was located within walking distance of St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican museums. We wanted to visit them all.

We definitely had to visit the Sistine Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope. 
So off we went.

What can I say about the Vatican City that has not been said by millions of people. 

It is awesome! 

Standing in the middle of the piazzas, you feel really small and insignificant. The place was enormous and magnificent. 
On the day we were there, it was near off season, therefore, it was not too crowded.
You viewed the many larger than life statues on the top of the walls. They looked so samll - your eyes can play tricks on you when you are in the midst of such a vast and imposing area. 

Every one of the statues was a master piece.
The Renaissance architecture was amazing.

We saw the colorfully dressed Swiss Guards.

There were treasures in the museum where ever you turn. 

The Sistine Chapel was undergoing some repair work at that time, but it did not take away the beauty of Michelangelo's masterpiece. It was a strange feeling to see the real thing when you had seen many reproductions of parts of this famous work for a long time. You feel that everything was surreal. 
I joined the many visitors, and sat for an extended period along the wall. With our necks cranked, we stared at this awe-inspiring ceiling, speechless. 
How did Michelangelo do it? 

Later, we had some cold drinks at an outdoor cafe just outside the Palace and did some people watching - I enjoyed that. There were people from all over the world, tourists. And there were everyday people who lived and worked in Rome. A sea of interesting human beings.

After a delicious dinner at the restaurant in the hotel, we spent a most pleasant and quiet time in a beautiful garden before we finally called it a day. 

And What a Day!