Pilgrims overcome in Christ

The pilgrims are in Rome!  Our day started early as we said goodbye to Greece and landed in Rome at 7:45 am local time.  The text for the day was Philippians 4:8-14, in which Paul encourages us all to keep on doing the things that we have learned and received and heard and seen.  A message directly for the people of Philippi, yes, but also a message that applies to each pilgrim as we cherish our heritage.  If we didn't think so before, one thing that we have learned after this time together is the knowledge that we can overcome anything and help each other in Him.

When in Rome...go to Vatican City!  We spent several hours on 109 acres containing the smallest country in the world, but one of the most powerful.  The Sistine Chapel was first up on the docket, starting at one of the outside rooms and making our way toward the chapel itself.  Words to effectively describe the experience fail us here, as the different paintings, tapestries and carvings that we saw were spectacular, each with an impressive story to accompany it.  The excitement continued to build until we actually made it into the chapel itself - an impressive and awe-inspiring sight.  We were not allowed to take any photos inside the chapel, so while we encourage you to take the online virtual tour, know that it will give you the information that you are looking for, but not the "pinch me, I can't believe that I am here" experience that the pilgrims had the privilege of living.

The next stop in the city was St. Peter's Basilica, where we were able to witness what was aptly referred to as, "an explosion of Renaissance Art" in this, the largest church in the world.  It would take an easy 2-3 days to effectively explore and study everything found inside the impressive church.  Our 45 minutes there really only scratched the surface, but we did of course take plenty of PICTURES, some of which you can view through our link.  Of note (as if there were just 1 or 2 things to point out here) is the fact that the items that look like paintings are actually mosaics, and all were hand constructed, most taking months or even years to complete.  Also interesting to realize is the double dome design itself was created by Michelangelo (who plays a significant role throughout a few other key areas of the City, as we are all aware), although he did not get to see the finished product, as construction did not finish until after his death.

The trip to Vatican City represents only half of the day...the pilgrims are troopers!  We set back out for something of an impromptu walking tour of Rome, led by our local guides, who delighted in showing us many meaningful, but lesser known spots in the city, such as Paul's first residence in the city of Rome (it is a church today), a library that is believed to be built on the site where Paul lived and wrote many of his letters to the different churches while under house arrest, plus a lot of fascinating and interesting neighborhoods, endearing us all to the city and the many hidden surprises that wait for us at every turn.

We wrapped up a full and exciting day with promise of more to come tomorrow - our last full day in Rome.  Check in with us to learn what we learned and follow yet another great day in our journey.