Eman and the Vatican

ROME - After a nice dinner of – you guessed it – pasta and pizza, we called it a night a bit earlier than normal, at least for us. It was a bit of a struggle to get everyone to do so. The consensus by the end of the night was that no one should go to the Vatican hung over or tired. I was especially looking forward to the next morning.

The security at Vatican City was rather strict. We passed through metal detectors, our cameras and phones passed through x-ray machines, and the guards waved their wands over each of us. Once through, our tour guide handed us radio transmitters with earphones into which he would speak to us via microphone. I shut mine off after Ned, our guide who reminds Chad of Boris Karloff, chose to plant us in one spot for over 45 minutes while he explained what seemed like the entire history of Rome.

I don’t consider myself particularly religious, but I do look at the Catholic faith with a great amount of reverence. Perhaps it was my upbringing or even just remembering my grandmother, but I do feel a sort of spiritual connection with it that borders on nostalgia.

The Sistine Chapel was breathtaking. It’s a bit surreal seeing the real thing. For some reason, it didn’t occur to me how crowded it was going to be when I saw it. Of course it would be. Guards along the walls and in the crowd clapped frequently and loudly at people who took photographs of the ceiling. “No fotos!” they yelled.

One other thing to note is that everything in the halls leading up to the Sistine Chapel was also impressive. The ceilings were intricately painted with 3-demsensional designs. The paintings, sculptures and tapestry that decked the halls of the museum were unlike anything I've seen.

There was an elegance to the museum I could feel as I walked through among thousands of other people. There was an elevated level of grace in the water flowing from the fountains. The Vatican truly is a site worthy of an association with God.