Musei Vaticani

So yesterday I woke up at 4:45 AM. Allow me to repeat, for dramatic effect: four-freaking-forty-five (editor's note: the alliteration adds to the effect. It enhances the sense of frustration).

I could not fall back asleep. It was tragic. Being the Boy Scout I never was, however, I decided to make do with the hand my body was dealing me, and by 7 I had eaten and went out to stand in line for the Vatican museum. The picture is the line in front of me for the opening. At 9 AM. People are insane. Anyways, I knew it was a free entrance day for some World Tourism Day or something like that, and I have an art history assignment where eventually I have to go to the museum, so I figured yesterday was as good as any day.

After a few hours in the museum seeing the sites (though not the Pinacoteca... somehow I missed the signs for that one, which is aggrivating), I exited out into St. Peter's Cathedral, where I had to be for another art history assignment, so I looked at the Pieta in a little of detail, and I was off to JCU for an afternoon of writing two art history papers (after a stop for gelato at Old Bridge).

I was dead tired when I finally got home around 8 last night. Hit a wall around 10, and promptly passed out. So that's a long day.

As far as other things of note, it has turned rainy here. October is supposed to be a rainy month, and we're close enough, I suppose. It has cooled off significantly since we arrived, which was badly needed. Yesterday I saw it hit 16 degrees C, so that's.. ummm... (16*9/5+32). Whatever that is. around 60. So, yes, a bit chilly, but not terrible.

At 3 PM today me and about 15 students are leaving for a retreat in Assisi. It should be a good time, and at the very least it will be a heavily-subsidized time, which is always a plus. It cost 5 euro for trains both ways, lodging, and bus rides over the weekend. We have to pay for food, methinks, but all in all that's still pretty sweet.