YOU SHOULD SEE THAT!

  WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH., 2019
       COUNTRIES AND CURIOUSITIES!    

     Our tour through Europe last week
included more countries than we expected.
Italy, France and Spain were on the list.
      But two "smaller countries" are, in
one sense, hidden in that same area.
      Monaco is a Principality along the
French Riviera while the Vatican is its
own country literally surrounded by Italy.
       We took a walking tour through the
Vatican Museum and at the end we felt
like we had walked through an entire
country!
       The museum is filled with treasures
from around the world. Paintings and
other works of art fill hall after hall. A
complete tour would probably take a
full week or so. And that would assume
you had the place to yourself.
        You share those halls with thousands
of tourists all stopping to take photos as
you're trying to keep moving.
         Ironically all tours eventually
lead you into the Sistine Chapel where
the great art work of Michael Angelo
is not allowed to be photographed!
          I don't know if they're afraid
all those camera flashes will somehow
damage the ceiling fresco or, more
likely,  if they'd prefer you buy you
photos in the Gift shop!
          Every Wednesday Vatican
Square is jammed with thousands of
people gathered for the Pope's weekly
audience. There is no shortage of
cameras there! It looked a lot like a
Presidential campaign rally around
here!
           The Pontiff drives around the
crowd in the so-called "Pope Mobile"
then is escorted to his seat from which
he offers a message and a blessing to
the people.
           It's the only time during our
trip that we endured a sudden cloud
burst. My wife, however, is prepared
for anything less than a nuclear blast
and immediately pulled two rain
ponchos from her purse.
           Fortunately the rain ended
almost as quickly as it came and the
impressive ceremony continued.
            I was only a bit disappointed
that as the various delegations from
all over the world were identified
there was no mention of the two
Methodists, my wife and I, in
attendance. Maybe somebody forgot
to tell them!
            Our schedule called for us
to leave Rome the following day
although my wife and I came pretty
close to staying indefinitely!
              45 minutes before our
scheduled departure my wife
discovered that she had apparently
pressed the wrong button and locked
our Passports in our hotel room safe!
              I ran to the desk clerk who
frantically searched for an emergency
code kept hidden for the management
to deal with just such a problem.
              Some minute later the
treasured number was located and
both our passports and we were
freed to continue our journey.
             The blog will continue as
well in the next edition.
              Hope all your NEWS is
good.