On the train to Rome... well actually to Chuisi - the countryside here is golden yellow and actually quite beautiful. The hill top towns we pass by are really well preserved. (.........) I really loved Siena. I'm so glad we stopped there. Thank God we were able to have that time there. It was so beautiful and not as tourist crazy as Florence. I wish I could have sat at the window of our room looking out onto the street for hours and hours. Towns like that are so romantic and sensual to me. I wonder why... I guess it evokes images from an imaginary past, or maybe because it shows how the city is organic, not centrally/mathematically planned with roads narrowing and winding, merging and diverging. Maybe it's the close proximity of things to each other. Rome will be good I hope but of course it will be a lot more manic than Siena. The world cup should be cool there, though.
Monday 10-07-2006 3:00 p.m. - Rome
So today was it, we went to the Vatican. The lines were long but they went quickly. St. Peter's was enormous. Very Majestic. Almost moved me to awe, but I'm too desensitized to that stuff, that type of art. At the very back behind the altar and above St. Peter's throne, was a piece that did move me to worship, but the rays of light -in gold- seemed a little too dull compared to what's deserving of our God. the line for the Sistine Chapel was even longer. They brought us through so many other rooms and chambers before actually seeing the chapel that you're really tired when you actually get to see it. Saw Raphael's "School of Athens" if I hadn't known it was famous, I probably would have skipped it over like most of the others. The facial expressions + clean style don't move me because they don't feel true to emotion. what did move me were the many pieces of modern art immediately before the sistine chapel but I had to consider the others I was with + how tired we all were/are so we didn't stop to ponder. The sistine chapel was a bit strange. There were so many people there was well as many security guards. Every few moments they would loudly Shhh! us and tell us to be quiet. A warning few took seriously. A very loud announcement came over speakers reminding us of the same + not to use any kind of photography - this warning came in 4 languages and definitively disturbed my peace.
Walking out I see the many street hawkers. They're lucky I guess, at least they have some capital. we passed by some car window washers. They really must have nothing, but they're not begging, wow. I was thinking today, the vatican is not the centre of the church today, if it ever was. Philip Jenkins has observed it right but Christ let us know long before. His kingdom is not of this earth, with palaces, gold + silver, prestigious art, his kingdom turns that on its head. I wonder if Benedict knows that?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
there were 2 irishmen, patrick and michael (of course) who were in a boat in the middle of the ocean and they found a bottle floating and pulled it into the boat. They opened it and out popped a genie. He said I can grant you one wish. Patrick spoke first and said "change the ocean water into guinness" and POOF, the genie did it and disappeared. Michael looked at him and said, "oh great Patrick, now we'll have to pee in the boat".
Post a Comment