Threads of Memory: Vatican City

I thought I'd start out with this layout that I created about our dining experiences while in Rome. We had some excellent meals, at least in my opinion. But the best by far was the gelato we got from San Crispin's. I had cinnamon ginger, yum!
When we left the Vatican Museum, we headed straight into St Peter's Basilica. On the way in we saw a wedding party heading into the basement. I didn't even know you could have a wedding here!

I had visited the interior of the basilica as a little girl. But I guess my memories of the space were affected by the photographs that I had taken. My camera was a good camera, but still, a little girl's point and shoot (as compared to my 'big girl's' digital point and shoot of this trip) and the images were all very, very dark. How brilliant the interior of the basilica looked to me this time around!
From the beautiful marble fonts at the entrance,

to the gorgeous canopy in the middle,

to the entire, beautiful space itself, there was so much for the eyes to drink in!

I told Alton that when I was finally crowned Queen of the World, I would have a massive bed and place it under a giant canopy much like the one we were admiring there in the basilica. That thing was several stories tall. And you could spend hours just looking at the marvelous ceilings inside the place. Brilliant blues

elaborate detail work,

and a view that seems to stretch up and up and on and on.

As we were leaving the basilica, we paused to watch a procession enter. They were chanting/singing and entered one of the side chapels. I don't know what the service was, but it was cool to get to see it. We don't have anything like this in our Baptist churches here at home!

Check out these Swiss Guards standing watch to the side of the basilica:

The piazza itself is huge. And about half of it was filled with a stage and chairs and big screens. I don't know if they were something extra special, or if they leave those things up year round for the Pope's regular services.