Italy all day

What a day - I have skipped forwards about the trip to cover the last two days before my time runs out. Yesterday we set out to see the Sistene Chapel. We queued for about an hour after walking at least half a mile up hill to turn round and come back down again to find we were in the wrong queue!!!!!! Not impressed in the slightest. So, we went to the beginning of the next queue which was as long if not longer than the other one in the opposite direction. There was no guarantee we were going to get in in a timely fashion so the decision was made to go to St Peters Basillica instead. What an amazing thing to walk through the columns and there I am, in the Vatican City looking right up to where the Pope comes out onto the balcony for those major occassions that he does. The buildings, statues and grandeur of the place is huge. Our bags were xrayed as we entered the city and then as we entered the Basillica. People that were not appropiately covered - shoulders, or too short skirts or shorts were given sarongs to cover up if they wanted to enter. Again we moved in a queue and then we were in through the doors inside the church itself. Again, the statues, the ceilings, the smell, the colours were almost more than I could take in. I have taken heaps of photos but I doubt if they will ever do justice to the magnificence of the place. To one side there was a chapel that had huge curtains hanging that you entered between. Inside the curtains was a chapel that you could not take photos in. I took a seat and just sat for some time taking it all in. It seemed appropriate to say a prayer and I found myself very moved to be in that space. The smell of incense was very strong and I imagined all the people over the years who had sat in the same space, praying for their needs and the needs of family and friends. Back in the main area I walked around with the hundreds of other people. There are several chapels within the main body of the church. Someone was getting married in one of them to the left. There is a dead Pope lying in state in a glass case in front of one of the chapels in the center front of the church. The next option was to go up to the top of the dome or go to the crypt where many of the Popes are buried - I chose the latter. That too was amazing. Many of the Popes have effigies on top of their tombs, the earliest ones are mere etchings. There is also the last Stuart King and his two sons buried there. The last Pope has a simple tomb with his name on a marble slab. I was not able to take photos down there as there were signs not to - will have to try and pick up a book with pictures in it. We were to meet at 1pm by the fountain only to find the troops who had gone up to the dome were only just getting to the end of the queue to get there! By now I was hungry, thirsty and so some of us went to have lunch. It was then I realised I had left my camera case with digital camera, money, credit cards, flashdrive, licence and two lipsticks on the ground where we had met when I had pulled out some things that I had bought. ARRRGH!!!!!! I went to the Police who gave me directions to the nearest police station that seemed to be miles away. By then I had met up with more of the group and it was suggested I ask information. Yes, someone had handed it in (never mock the power of prayer!!!!!) and I had to go to the Vatican Post office. Yes, they had seen it but I now had to go to the Vatican Police - more directions to the local police station. Jill Ohlson and I then set out and walked a goodly distance with no sign of a police station so we asked a woman in passing. She had no English but understood cabinierre (or something that sounds like that) and took us to where she thought it was only to find a door in the wall with no apparrent access. Quite by chance two guys came out and said there was no one there - as that happened one of our fathers who speaks Italian came out from a shop next door and the next thing another guy comes out, takes us all upstairs where sitting on his desk is my camera, case etc. Bless. We then met up with several others from the group and headed back to the hotel on the metro - more confusing than the Greek one I thought and we got off heaps before we needed to and walked miles it seemed back to the hotel. Ankles are still very large - am thinking of starting an olympic event!
Ciao