roups are limited to no more than six people and the docents aren't just tour guides, they are experts. John Boyden, who was our 
guide, has studied Canon law and Christian Art for more than a decade on top of having been to the Vatican Museums more than 2,000 times. It mad
e the navigation of this huge and very, very crowded place a real pleasure.
No flash photography allowed, so we don't really have many good pictures, but I've included a couple art highlights and one shot that gives you an idea of the crowds.The tour lasted almost five hours. We were with two other couples
, one from Atlanta Georgia and one from Montana. Of course, plenty of Bernini. For Joe the highlight was the Sistine Chapel. For me it was the cathedral that is St. Peter's. The enormity of the bu
ilding, it's architecture and design are just amazing. When I realized that you could fit three St. Patrick's Cathedrals inside, I was totally 
blown away. It's essentially pointless to attempt to describe here, so you'll just have to plan on seeing it all for yourself.After the tour we were ready for lunch and thanks to John we had lunch at a great place that wasn't a tourist haunt. Hostaria dei Bastioni, Via Leone IV 29, is about a block from the entrance to the Vatican Museums. About a 10 minutes walk from the steps of St. Peter's. After a wonderful leisurely lunch where we took our time to rest our feet, we ordered espresso to wrap things up. The owner, who had served as our waiter, arrived with two cups of coffee and placed Joe's on the table and tossed the contents of mine at me, spoon and sugar packet flying. The cup itself was empty, we all roared with laughter. Somehow the magic of the moment isn't conveyed in the telling, but after a day of serious history and art the levity was a wonderful juxtaposition that marked the switch to the evening's activities.
After a quick rest at our hotel, we headed to the Pantheon where we met up with my friend Fernando from the States who was in town overnight for business. He came with a couple of colleagues, one of which looks so much like Drew
Barrymore it was freaky...in a good way. Mike and Cor who had flown in that morning for the next ten days also met us for dinner. Fernando really knows Rome (and Italian) so he served as our host. The first place we went for some wine, just around the corner from the Pantheon was wonderful. La
Tavernetta, Via degli Spagnoli 48 was a great way to start the evening. From there we went out to dinner. It was an amazing moment in my life to be surrounded by so many of my good friends -- I've known Mike and Cor for almost 30 years and Fernando for a little more than 20 -- in Rome.
