Our agent has arranged for an early morning tour of Rome. Our first stop is the Trevi Fountain; wife chucks another coin. Later on we head to the Pantheon. It is an impressive structure and awe inspiring. Our guide tells us that the front doors are 6 tonnes each, and the 16 columns in front, bear the entire weight of the church. Inside, a service is going on, and a priest is in the middle of his sermon. The architecture leaves us amazed.
Our next stop is St. Peter's Basilica inside Vatican City. It is an imposing structure, one that I have seen often on the telly. To actually see it in person is a totally different experience. There is a long line of people waiting to get in. At the front entrance, we pass through metal detectors, a reminder of the dangers our world poses.
Inside, the church is beautiful. We peer up at the dome that Michaelangelo designed and watch as folks kiss the feet of St. Peter. The place is teeming with people. On Sundays, the Pope appears at his apartment window and offers his blessings, and that explains the crowd.
Close to noon, we head to the Square and find scores of people gathered there already. At the stroke of noon, the Pontiff appears and gives his blessings. Folks wave back; some break down in tears. It is a moment that will remain with us for a long time.
Our guide has told us to return by 12:20 and so halfway through his sermon, we head back to our meeting point.
We can't believe that we actually got to see the Pope.
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