Trip to Italy, 2007

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The next morning there was an optional tour of the Vatican museum. Tour buses could enter early and avoid the long lines (for a fee, of course). We were able to ride the bus in, but when we were most of the way there, it started leaving a huge clowd of smoke. We all got off and Juri tired to start it, creating another huge clowd which Nikki caught. I got this picture of Juri looking at the engine while talking on his cell phone. Fortunately there were several Cosmos buses heading in and we were pretty close so that one of them came back after dropping off their group and gave us a ride in while Juri took our bus to have it fixed. It appears that there was some problem with the Air Conditioner compressor, but they seem to have fixed it pretty easily. Before we visited each cathedral we were advised that we should wear 'church dress' which meant no exposed knees (though they seemed pretty OK with shorts and skirts that came to the knees, but not ones that were well above the knees) or exposed shoulders or midriffs. Nikki took the picture below of the sign.	=0=
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We started the climb to the top of Saint Peter's Basilica. It is about 800 steps. There was an elevator that would take you about half way up for about six dollars a piece, but we decided to hoof it the whole way (saving money and toughing it out, both). The stairs around the elevator were pretty ordinary, not very interesting, and then you were on the roof of most of the Basillica (not the dome). Above are picture Nikki took from that roof of the dome. Here is the picture I took just as we first entered the Basillica. Below are pictures that I took of the base of the dome. You went up those short steps and into the dome. There are Nikki and Jay at the base of the steps.	=0=
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Above are pictures Nikki took of herself and Jay. Once you went up those short stairs you could get into the dome as shown here. There was a large fence with a view of the area below (shown below) and a wonderful view of the dome itself. Everything was beautifully decorated.	=0=
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