Yoko spent today in bed and I headed out to the Vatican, adding country number 12 to my ever growing list of, you know, travels. My mentor and friend, Mr. Neal, had asked me to get him "Pope on a Rope" as a souvenir, so I looked all over. No luck. I think I'm going to have to make my own "Pope on a Rope." It has to be big and wood and able to be swung around during a confrontation.
But I saw St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, all that. I followed my strict sight-seeing rule of just getting in lines that look like they're going somewhere. This lead me to the top of the Basilica on one occasion. I also saw St. Peter's remains which were much less popular that Pope John Paul II's remains. I was wandering around this courtyard looking for the entrance to the Vatican and had the funny feeling that I had seen the place where I was, when I realized that I was standing in the middle of that place that all the faithful pilgrims come when the Pope blesses people or has some offical Papal business for everyone. I waited in line, listened to Tupac, and hoped Yoko was feeling better.