Rolland With The Punches: The World's Smallest Country

For the smallest country in the world, Vatican City probably receives the largest number of tourists each year. Home to the Pope, the Sistine Chapel and of course, the Vatican, this tiny country is quite the attraction. So much history is housed within the walls of Vatican City. That is the entire country- whatever is housed within the concrete walls which surround the buildings.

From the get go of the tour every building we enter houses wall-to-wall paintings and hand-stitched rugs- some even extend floor to ceiling. Several of the paintings we’re told took decades to complete. This comes as no surprise if you stand before a painting that extends from floor to ceiling and is nearly 20 feet wide. It’s absolutely marvelous to walk through all of the halls. I have no passion for art, but I know beauty when I see it. Every painting holds such bold colors that they all appear to have been painted a week ago. Some of the portraits are mosaics and were pieced together. Even the rugs look freshly stitched. Every thing is just so in tact and well preserved.

Of course, all any of us really care about is seeing the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. When we approach the chapel the guards ask us to cover our shoulders. (There are strict dress codes in many European churches: skirts/dresses/shorts must fall past the knee and shoulders must be covered, etc.) I’m aware that it took years to create such a masterpiece, but I just can’t believe one man completed such a task on his own. There isn’t an inch of ceiling exposed between all of the different scenes displayed along the ceiling. The room is packed with as many as 1,000 people (to exaggerate a bit) yet the room is completely silent. You will be asked to leave for talking. It’s very serious business. I don’t imagine anyone had time to speak anyway because there is simply too much beauty to take in. Sorry I can’t provide photos of this. Another strictly forbidden task here, but only in this one room.

Once again I enjoyed the tour for the historical aspect it holds, but I definitely think it means so much more to Catholics. It’s a really significant part of their religion’s history and to them being so near to their home church and Pope must be the most surreal feeling.

Ceiling in a hall in Vatican City - not the Sistine Chapel (obviously)

Entrance- walls are this high and constructed of stone around entire parameter.

Mosaic tile

Hard to capture but this painting is a million tiny mosaics pieced together.

A mummified former pope

St. Peter's Basilica

After touring the Vatican we headed back to the hotel and I’m pretty certain we took a nap and hung around until that evening when we were going to a dinner opera. Oh my! That was such a fun experience. The opera was a lot of high pitched singing of notes no human should be able to reach, yet the show itself was a comedy and quite entertaining.

I was actually called on stage while one of the male singers serenaded me and a female singer and I pretended to cat fight. The food was great, free wine and only the best of company for me.

This opera dinner was just one of many extra sights Eirini prepared for us. I did just about every additional activity affordable. When would I go to another dinner opera in Rome?

Rested easy this night. Well easily as I could with no air conditioning and the tiniest crack in the window.