hellbent hikers homers home

Up at 7.30........ At Vatican Museum line at 8.30. Hour and half wait in line to ticket booth ,13 euros each and we were exploring the huge Vatican museum.Thousands of paintings and artifacts......totally mind blowing but what we came to see was the ceiling in the Sistene Chapel.  Painted by Michelangelo,this masterpiece was said to have been painted while he was laying on his back. I suppose paint in the eyes would have been an issue.  The Sistene Chapel is also famous for being the place where the Cardinals meet to choose a new Pope.  This process may take a long time and when a decision is finally made white smoke is emitted from a chimney near by as a way of informing the masses of humanity waiting outside  the Vatican.   No pictures were allowed of Michelangelos' ceiling but if one is discreet many pics along with video can be taken! Watch for roamimg security guards who will not hesitate to usher you out if caught. After hours of discovering the hidden treasures that the Vatican Museum held we were finally ready to move on and explore a bit more of Rome.. Piazza del Popolo was our stop and after a short walk around it was down to Via Di Corso known for shops and eateries. We picked up some beautiful jewellery and an amazing Pashmina scarf. Spizza di Pizza was perfect for a quick bite.  What an adventure packed day!  Michelangelo Buonarottis' ceiling in the Sistene Chapel was the absolute highlight of the day!