Vatican City, Vatican

Whoever go to Rome, I believe that they will pay a visit to Vatican City as well.

Once I reach the hostel, the receptionist already warn us that if we are going to Vatican City, he recommended us to get up early and reach there by 730am. 730am?!! Means I have to wake up 7am in the morning to get ready? No way...i am not going to wake up that early especially going for a trip.

At the second day, I reached Vatican City about 8am in the morning....ends up....the queue to enter vatican museum is surrounding the 1/4 of the country's perimeter! sial...I was thinking, haih...this time don't know have to wait until when only can enter vatican. Luckily, the queue is moving quite fast, so it doesn't matter. Frankly speaking, it is really scary when I first saw the queue.

long long queue...

We directly went into Vatican Museum, I recommended whoever go to Vatican Museum, it is better to bring along a friend who has strong knowledge about Christianity and bible. Most of the paintings are related to the history of Christianity. Without the knowledge, basically, you will be totally blur from the moment you enter the museum until you walk out from there.

If you are travel with 2 or 3 friends, it is better to have a tour guide along. I didn’t hire a tour guide instead I rented the audio system. It cost RM50 and I didn’t even listen to half of the content but trust me, it is worth. Without it, I am like an idiot walking inside a big building. I don’t like that feeling. It makes me feel I waste my money to enter the museum.

Majority of the tour guides will speak in front of the team, then every tour member will wear one wireless earphone. So whoever left behind also can listen to what the tour guide says. Most of the corridors in the museum are narrow, it is impossible to get a place for the tour group to gather in a round and start explaining. It will block other visitor to proceed. You can hear multi national language of tour guide over there. When you choose the tour, you are not only can choose for English tour guide, but even can choose Italian, France, Britain or US accent of English!

i saw mummy!! at vatican museum

One of the most famous fresco in the Vatican Museum is God creates Adam, the first man by Michelangelo at Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo draw the 9 scenes from Book of Genesis, Old Testament on the ceiling! For me, by reading the bible especially the Genesis already make me super duper confuse. I am someone who like to imagine the picture in my brain when I am reading something. Like even when I am studying, I will try to remember the ''picture'' or ''image'' of the equation instead of memorise it. Genesis is always a chapter which is too abstract for me. Divide Land and water?? har??light and darkness?? Nevertheless, Michelangelo manage to transform it from the word to a graphic. The most amazing things is when I look at the painting, it gives me the feeling of...yes...this is what bible said...this is how it looks like...

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

Normally those movie which transform from book to picture, most of the reader will hate the movie. Because when we read the book, we always have our own perception and expectation of the character in the book. We always assume how the character suppose to be in our brain. When it comes to movie, the picture is display in front of us, without the space of imagination, the real life is always not as nice as we thought. Ends up, book is always better than movie like Harry potter, Da Vincci Code.....

The last judgment on the altar.

But Michelangelo managed to draw the imagine from the bible and show it in such a beautiful way to us until I have to agree with it. His painting convince me to believe that what he draw is what the bible says. That is how God create heaven and earth, create the first man.

It is illegal to take picture inside Sistine Chapel. The most famous phase that we can hear from the guard in the chapel is....''silence please...no picture....'' All the pictures inside Sistine chapel are taken by my friend under risk of being caught. =P

One of the corridor in the Vatican Museum.

Every corner or ceiling or column of the museum are full of painting and decoration.

For whoever plans to visit the museum, it is recommended to estimate you have to spend minimum 3 hours there. Only the museum, not included the basilica, ok? Even you are not a big fan of the Christianity history or art, assuming every single display item, you take 30seconds to look at it also need about 2 – 3 hours to finish the museum. If you are someone who are really interested to find out more for some items, then you will ends up like me….5 hours…I am still consider fast because I try not to spend too long since I knew that I have to visit some other places on that day. Besides, I also try not to waste too much time on taking pictures ( still I took about few hundred pictures inside there). Can you imagine how big is the museum? I heard that Louve Paris is even much bigger than Vatican museum.

Err….actually I also spent some time to buy rosary as well. Vatican museum is really a good place to shop for rosary. Over here, you can get various design of rosary. Buying rosary here is not simply because it is from the holy see, it is also because many design that I never see at Malaysia. Yes, the price maybe a bit higher. I fall in love with a rosary necklace that cost few thousand ringgit. =P But those rosary are really a piece of jewellery, rosary with gold plated that can wear as necklace, rosary with silver plated, rosary with black pearl, with crystal, rosary as bracelet…However, if once you walk out from the Vatican wall, those rosary is selling at much lower price. But, I over heard one tour guide said, although it is just a wall difference, but buying from inside is consider buy from the holy see, once u buy over the wall, it is consider you buy from Italy not Vatican anymore.

I spent about 5 hours inside Vatican museum. Initially, I plan to attend sunday mass and visit the museum museum on the same day. But, it closed on Sunday. So, I have to go to Vatican again on Sunday morning and visit the museum on the other day. After the first visit to Vatican city, this time, although the general announcement start at 10am, still I reach there at 8am. (never ever 2 hours earlier to reach church, hahaha) I thought I am early but I am absolutely wrong again.

queue + queue + queue

Again!! super duper long queue. It is really a tiring mass. 2 hours queue just to enter Piazza St Pietro, usual 30 mins to Holy communion become another 2 hours to it. 15 min first reading become 1 hour only first reading....seriously.....very very tired after the mass.

sunday mass, many people leh?

At Malaysia, we will have dual lingual mass. But at Vatican City, there will have multi lingual mass...Italian, Spanish, Hindi, English....whenever the announcement is using Italy language, all Italian will stand up and hooray~~!!Hindi, all indian will be waving India national flag....and HOooray~~~!!Spanish, all the Spanish youngster will stand on top of the chair, yeah !! yeah~~!!English....cool...calm....too little Christian who speak english there. It looks like a concert more than an Sunday Mass. Luckily, when praying or some serious session, everyone still keep quiet.

never ever visit vatican city on sunday if you are not going for the mass

When the mass finish, finally I have the time to visit Saint Peter Basilica or so called San Pietro in Italy language. It is famous because of the tomb of Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles. It is huge, as huge as you can fit the Statue of Liberty in the dome where the main altar sits with room to spare!

human is tiny in the house of God

I am really astonish by the basilica. After visiting the Saint Peter Basilica, I believe there is no other church in the world could gave me such impact anymore. The size, the altar, the chapel, the carving, the nave, the fresco, the ceiling...every single corner of the Saint Peter Basic ilia is an individual piece of art.

I had visited the Cathedral at London. Yes, it is large and nice as well. But compare to Saint Peter Basilica, it is nothing. Those cathedral doesn't give an impact, such feeling. For Saint Peter Basilica, once you step in, your mouth will just drop...and...wah....My travel mate said that it doesn't look like a praying place at all because it is really too huge. A praying place that can fit 60,000 disciples?!

It is really a must visit for everyone who visit Rome and Vatican City. Finally, end my post with a picture of adorable Swiss Guard. =)