The Vatican & Sistine Chapel.

As I stepped foot off of the airplane, I knew that I was in for the adventure of a lifetime. Four of my fellow colleagues and I took a shuttle from the airport in Rome to the hotel we were to stay at, Hotel Florida. When we arrived at the hotel, I felt as though I was in an old time movie. The hotel was a four story walk up hotel located in a shopping strip at the heart of Rome. To the right of our hotel was a Michael Kors store and to the left was another high end Italian clothing store. The hotel had italian charm and was located on a cobblestone street. The hotel room had large bay windows that you could open up and see the city or the courtyard in the center of the hotel. It was just like a dream! We arrived to Rome late in the evening on Friday. I decided to venture out past the hotel! I convinced two of the girls to adventure with me. We found a Gelatto shop that was still open, the only store open in the whole area! We were so excited for it was 1 in the morning and we were hungry. We enjoyed our ice cream on our walk back to the hotel. I knew as soon as I arrived, Rome was a city I would cherish forever. 

The next morning we made our walk to the Vatican City. The smell of sweet grapes, wine and coffee filled the air. The streets were bustling with tourists and peddlers trying to make money. We stood in the line for the Vatican for an hour and a half. The Vatican is a walled enclave within the city of Rome. It is considered an individual state in Rome. It is said to be the smallest country in the world and a city-state as well. The Vatican serves as the home of the Pope who is head of the Roman Catholic Church. The Vatican is also the site of St. Peters Basilica, a large beautiful building encircled with walls and statues. 

My personal favorite portion of the Vatican was the world-famous Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel is without a doubt one of the greatest art treasures of all time, and I of all people was given the opportunity to view the Chapel and the artwork first hand. The Sistine Chapel was the last stop on the Vatican Museum tour. The tour was amazing, every ceiling, wall and floor was decorated with the most beautiful paintings and mosaics. I have never seen anything quite so astonishing. As soon as I walked into the museum I stood in awe while the other girls walked ahead. Tears filled my eyes in every room, I was constantly reminded how lucky and how blessed I was to be standing in the Vatican, the home of art and history. I couldn't help but think about my parents and all the other people in the world who would never see such beauty in their lifetime. It was a truly humbling experience. It was also an emotional experience for me. I realized while I was standing looking up at the ceilings just how blessed I truly am to be on this trip of a lifetime. As we walked through the museum the anticipation heightened. Every step was one step closer to seeing Michelangelo's work the Sistine Chapel. This is something I have learned about in my history books for my entire life, and here I was a little Auburn girl about to see history and famous art with my own eyes. 

Let me tell you, the Sistine Chapel didn't disappoint. I have never experienced something so heart-stopping in my entire life. I literally just stood in the center of the room with my eyes on the ceiling and my mouth opened wide, awe-stricken. The room is completely overwhelming. One could spend an entire day in that room and never even see all of the works of art. Every character in the painting is magical, telling a particular story of the Bible. While looking at the ceiling I remembered learning about Genesis as a child; I could vividly see the 9 scenes of Genesis jumping off the ceiling and off of the walls into my imagination and into my mind. I have never seen anything so beautiful in my life, it was truly heart-stirring and spine-tingling. The over feeling I received when I walked into the room was a feeling like I have never felt before. Tears filled my eyes once again when I laid my eyes upon the altar and the "Last Judgement." It reminded me that this life is fleeting. We only have one life to live, so we have to make it the best life possible. The scene was a moving experience, I realized at that moment that this wouldn't be my last trip to the Sistine Chapel. 

I wish everyone could experience what I experienced when I was in the chapel looking up at the paintings. It is something everyone should experience once in their lifetime, it is humbling and awe-inspiring. I hope that this blog helps to paint a mental image for you of how magnificent the Sistine Chapel truly is. I am blessed.