Rome Day 6

Current news...this weekend is the biggest craft fair in all of Norway :)  Do you remember me talking about this last year?  So, I made a dessert, went for the PWC preview time this morning, and worked a shift at the cake and coffee table.  The cool thing about it is really everything there is hand-made here in Scandinavia, mostly Norway.  I will also say, 'biggest in Norway' is a little disappointing when you are from a place where you often hear the phrase, 'everything is bigger in Texas' - but nevertheless, I made a few small purchases and enjoyed walking around and checking out all the wares.  There are certainly some very talented people here!

And now, back to Italy...

On Thursday of our trip, we headed back over to the Vatican area so go inside St. Peters Basilica and walk up the 500+ stairs to the cupola.  What an amazing place, both inside and out!  And the views from the cupola...WOW!  The cathedral was just huge!  You could spend all day just in the main areas, but then you go downstairs where no pictures are allowed and see all the shrines for all the popes.  Each is unique - really cool to see.  Some have statues, some are the stone tombs, each a dedication to that particular pope.  

Tile mosaics are very prevalent and this was one that I really liked.  Obviously it depicts Jesus washing his follower's feet.














After we saw the inside of the basilica, we started the very long climb to the top of the cupola.  I think it was a total of about 550 stairs.  Part of the stairway was very narrow and as you reach the top, the walls curve in around the cupola.  Just when you think you can't go another step, you get to the top and are greeted with THE most amazing views of Rome for as far as the eye can see!

Do you recognize this - the courtyard of the Vatican from a couple days ago!

This is the square in front of the basilica - see the pictures from in front of St. Peters above!

After admiring the views with hundreds of other people at the top of the cupola, we made our way down and set off to make a second stop at a few destinations and hunt down a couple others.

We stopped at Angel Castle and the bridge that crosses the river Tiber first.

One of our stops was Basilica di S. Clemente.  This was a really cool place - no pictures allowed inside, but found below the church are several levels, the third still being excavated.  Archaeologists believe that some of rooms were part of a pagan worship area in the earliest years -

We also stopped back by the church famous for the 'stairway to heaven' which can only be climbed on one's knees.  People climb the stairway in silent prayer on their knees - Spencer, Brendan, and Kyla decided to make the climb - I stayed down and took a few pictures.  The main prayers that day, for MawMaw...  The other prayers, for the poor.  We saw quite a few homeless and very needy people and Brendan really took this to heart and wanted to give money to each one we saw.  In his prayers, he included those less fortunate and chose several to drop coins in their cups throughout the week.

We also went back by the colosseum one last time.

Loved this picture - see the trees on the left?  The tour guide called these umbrella pines - a perfect name for them!

One last day left to blog about before I end the Rome recap, so check back soon!