,
Pizza, pasta, pepperoni and popes galore!! From hanging out on sun-drenched beaches in the
Greek isles, to running around in circles doing battle with the Epsilon and
Zetas in Athens, Miss Kid was ready for a change of pace, zestfully embracing
la dolce vita in Italia. Miss Niece was
beyond prepared for her Italian sojourn, having brushed up on the local lingo,
and had invested quite the little fortune in handy dandy phrase books and
maps. From hanging off of the Fontana di
Trevi to strolling along the cobble-stone avenues, the Canadian born Kid was
in her element, jabbering Italian like a native, visions of Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday swirling in her pretty
little head. Mind you, the only words
Miss Smarty Pants knew were “Buon giorno,
ciao bella, arrivederci, amore and gelato”,
but nonetheless, she successfully managed to convince locals and tourists alike
that she was of Italian descent, despite her blonde hair and seemingly obvious
British and Nordic backgrounds.
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| Toss a few coins into the Fontana di Trevi and you're sure to return to Roma!! |
It’s quite the shame, though that she didn’t think about
adding some Latin to her now vast repertoire of languages, as a tour of the
Vatican was looming on the horizon.
Strategically located on Vatican Hill, smack dab in the center of Rome,
Vatican City spans some 110 acres and is a sovereign city-state. The papal residence of generations of popes,
this walled enclave has a population of approx. 840 inhabitants, has its own
post office, telephone system, eleven museums, television studio and newspaper.
Built upon the site of the tomb of St.
Peter, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican are centers of Christendom,
showcasing a wealth of Baroque and Renaissance art and architecture. A not to be missed stop is Michelangelo’s
Sistine Chapel, which draws upwards of more than 25,000 visitors per day or 5
million a year.
Of course, her cuckoo ol’ Auntie didn’t quite have the
opportunity of viewing the interior of the Vatican or Sistine Chapel when she
toured around Rome years ago, as there was only so much time to devote to both
spiritual reflections versus material acquisitions, choosing to instead sprint
around the parameters of St. Peter’s Basilica in less than an hour, leaving the
remainder of the day free for activities of the shopaholic kind. Materialistic. But true.
Hold on a minute here, as in my own defense, due to travel
delays, I had arrived in Rome quite late in the day, and therefore had no
alternative but to jam-pack all of my activities within an unbelievably short
time frame, hence, just barely glimpsing the Basilica. And see how well it all turned out, with Miss
Niece supplying me with my very own stash of digital memories? Good thing that the Kid at least had the
smarts to amble inside those magnificent structures!
Chalk another one up for the Kid! Not like I’m counting, but how many is that
now??
Pink Sneakers on the Go Fascinating
Facts and Interesting Info:
- The Pope is well protected by a flank of Swiss Guards, who are responsible for his personal safety.
- The Swiss Guards are, of course, Swiss.
- The Swiss Guards, in their regal gold, red and blue uniforms, must be between 19 and 30 years old, be Swiss born, be male, Catholic and have completed Swiss military training.
- The Vatican issues its own passports, mints its own Euros and prints its own stamps.
- Vatican City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Come traipse around the world’s smallest
city-state and gawk in appreciative wonder at priceless masterpieces and
architecture, with a wee bit of time left over for reflection and
contemplation. Come travel with Miss Smarty Pants Kid
and her cuckoo ol’ Auntie on their escapades around the globe.
Next week
- where next?? Stay tuned for
more Miss – adventures of the Miss Kid inspired kind!!
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