On Monday we visited the Capitoline Museums, which features mostly sculpture and archaeological finds. One of the cool things about it is an underground passage between buildings that exits out onto a veranda above the Forum. And it was a delight to see some famous sculpture familiar to us, such as the bronze bull and horse fragments. We walked around a lot of the rest of the ancient city during the afternoon.
On Tuesday, we tackled the big one -- the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel. We did our best to plan but miscalculated somehow and, wow, what a line we waited in. Two-and-a-half solid hours in the cold, plus the walk there. Once inside the building, visitors are herded into cattle chutes up and down stairs, through anonymous corridors, etc. It's insanely crowded, shoving and shuffling for another solid hour before reaching the chapel.
The Sistine Chapel is amazing. A memory I'll treasure forever and a privilege. But not one I think I'll try for again unless I can cut a couple hours out of the journey. And it makes me gunshy about some of the other sites we have planned including even more popular museums in Florence. Twice we've walked past the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica and seen lines I couldn't imagine ever waiting in, but I think we're going to have to get used to the idea.
Other parts of the Vatican Museums were less crowded, including Pinocoteca, which has been the highlight so far for me.
Along with seeking out meals, shopping, inevitably getting lost several times, and the uphill climb to our apartment building, that was two long days on our feet, so we took today off to stay close to the apartment and get work done on our computers. Tomorrow we take our chances with the line at the Colosseum and explore more of the ancient city.
