People warned me that the Vatican would be mobbed and it was. Really mobbed. Our intrepid guide, five feet tall and carrying a flag on a stick, dispensed knowledge with a warm charm and kept a good pace going. The hours flew by.

Saint Peter’s Basilica (below) and our guide (above).

The dome is slightly smaller than the Pantheon’s.

Believe it be or not, I had seen Michelangelo’s Pieta before when it came to the New York World’s Fair. It says something about my mother that we went. For all our frequent trips to family in the city over the years, my parents never took us to the Bronx Zoo or the Statue of Liberty or FAO Schwartz. But we saw Michelangelo’s Pieta.

The artist spent eight months at the quarry looking for the right block of marble for this piece. He famously claimed that his sculptures were already present in the stone and all he did was liberate them. “He was not a modest man,” said our guide.

He sculpted this piece at the age of 25 and it is the only piece of art that he ever signed.

Outside the lines stretched for miles! Buying tix for a tour in advance is definitely the way to go (we used City Wonders).

Setting up for Easter services. I gather it was a little more crowded than usual given the time of year.

Here is a brief clip of lightening over the city from yesterday.

If it doesn’t load, you can view it over on Instagram (deeamallon).

(We weren’t allowed to take photos of the Sistine Chapel).

Our second memorable meal was at a tiny place down a little alley that we just happed upon. Boy, what Italians do with artichokes! I’m gonna have to up my game in future.