We were at the Vatican museum early.
As we strolled around the grounds we began to comment on all of the signs pointing to the Sistine Chapel.
As we approached the far end we stopped to admire the Rafael rooms. These are gorgeous and some of the most famous paintings in the world.
We were pretty much alone in admiring them.
Pretty soon we caught up to the crowd.
I expected to spend about as much time as we did for Rafael, maybe a bit longer. I had heard stories about the dim paintings so far up as to be almost incomprehensible.
I walked in, looked up, and had my breath taken away.
Yes, I have seen the images in books and posters. I have even seen some large scale reproductions.
Nothing can prepare you for entering that room.
At first it's overwhelming. The tight crowds. The colors. The larger than life images. The grandeur of it all.
You don't know where to look. There is so much calling for your attention.
After a while I settled into a more systematic approach. I slowly scanned the ceiling, jumping back no again to something I had seen before, but always trying to move on.
I slowly worked my way through the crowd towards the center of the room.
I could have spent all day just studying that.
After a while, however, the ceiling beckoned again.
When I reached the far end I started to look at the other paintings in the room. Each one was done by a different great master. If they had been anywhere else, they would have been the center of attention. In this setting, only a few people were studying them.
I don't know how long we stayed in there.
Although I love art, I never believed that a piece of art could make such an impression.
If you have never been to Rome and seen it, you may laugh when people try to describe the experience. I did. Trust me, once you've been there, you'll understand.
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