Tuesday was an enriching day to say the least.
It was all about art, interesting people, provoking and thoughtful conversations, food, and exposing myself to new concepts.
During a loud rain storm, we toured around the Musei Vaticani and the Vatican – the largest church in the world.
I can’t remember the last time my breath was taken away multiple times in one day. Maybe when I hiked around the Rocky Mountains but even grand, natural beauty is in competition with the artistic work of the Romans.
The whole entire experience was extraordinary. As we walked through the halls, with their open windows letting the cool, stormy air in, it was hard to choose what to look at. The sheer amount of detail and consideration and patience that must have been employed to execute some of the works displayed in the museum was enough to gawk at. However, the gigantic size of the works were the real impressive feat.
I kept marveling at the idea of these artists creating such ornate pieces on this scale back in their time. Even with the little technology they had, they managed to create timeless pieces that never lost their impressiveness.
I also appreciate that artists back in that time had practically no distractions. They were inspired by nature, the human condition, and their religious beliefs. Going to see their creations just reinforced to me how far one single idea can really go.
After running in the rain, we caught a taxi and headed off to our next destination at the restaurant Vinando. We met up with some incredible journalists, and I had the pleasure of sitting across the only woman journalist there.
Sylvia Poggioli, the Senior European Correspondent for NPR, and I talked about the current political landscape in Italy with the past and future elections, refugees, the 70s feminist movement in Italy, where feminism is now with the nonexistent Me Too movement and much more. She was an inspiration to say the least.
The biggest takeaway from my time with her was to keep an open mind and always push for more information. You can never learn enough about yourself, where you come from, and the world over.
As far as the dinner was concerned, pizza, red wine, grilled vegetables, and strawberries were on the menu for me.
This time, I left with a full stomach and a very satiated mind.