Wonder and Wander

We had learned the hard way (in Granada), that big sites in Europe now book well in advance. Vance had 3 things he really wanted to see, and the Vatican Museum was one of them, so we forked over a little extra cash to book a reservation ahead.We had a 9am entry time, and I knew that would be challenging on Vance. Sleep is a delicate thing for him, and he typically wakes up slowly. But when you get a timed entry at the Vatican, you make it work.The Vatican Museum is clearly used to having hordes of visitors. I was amazed at their efficiency–we waltzed right in, were served right away, and hardly broke stride through security and picking up our tickets.The Vatican is one of those places where you cannot even hope to absorb all of what you are seeing. It’s just an astonishing wealth of priceless artifacts. We almost walked right by a cuneiform tablet from Nebuchadnezzar authorizing the rebuilding of the temple. It was in a little side case with several other tablets, no fanfare at all. Who knows what else we just walked by.The girls especially loved Raphael’s rooms, and Eve soaked up every bit of The School of Athens. The Sistine Chapel was amazing to me… When I had seen it, the walls and ceiling were dark and the colors were muted. They have since cleaned the chapel, and I was amazed at how much clearer and more vibrant the scenes were.At this point in our week, everyone was getting fairly tired. We had been up early every morning, walking and walking and walking. I personally love it, but Evie escorting was starting to feel the drain. The beauty of staying a week at a time was that we could just call a touring time out and chill. We all needed it. The girls and I did a little aimless wandering, but we took some time to slow down the pace.We spent the next day with Ellen, seeing the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. She had been on a walking tour there before, and shared some of her knowledge with us. It was rainy and cold, so we ducked into a sweet little traditional wooden toy shop.We met Vance for lunch and a visit to the Pantheon—yet another place that I appreciated so much more the second time around. The Roman invention of concrete opened up new architectural feats to the Empire, and the unsupported dome here was completely revolutionary. It’s a sight to see.The girls and I walked around with Ellen for a bit more shopping (and gelato!), while the boys went back for a movie afternoon to see Gladiator. We said goodbye to Ellen that afternoon with a lot of sadness–it was such fun to be in a be in a new city together, and so nice to talk in person.The boys got Italian haircuts in Rome, and we got some additional time with David after his conference was over. He went with us to the catacombs. Just outside the city, the San Sebastian catacombs cover 37 acres, and over 450,000 Christians are buried there.The priest who guided our tour really preached to my soul about the reality and hope of the resurrection. Several of the early church leaders were caught leading a worship service in those catacombs, tried, and beheaded right there. So many of the crypts (30-40%) were for children. It was a sobering, meaningful place.Rome was everything we’d hoped–Vance had been able to see what was really important to him, and our whole family loved the energy and history and beauty of the city. But we were also tired and ready for a rest after all that city living.