Continuation of the rat race. Vatican and Venice
Vatican. Continuation of the rat race
Our group got together, two tourists got lost, we didn't wait for them. Before entering the museums, Jana told us about the history of the Sistine Chapel, warned that you can take pictures, you can not. They admired the fat seagull and the modern sculpture "Sphere in the Sphere" and sent their tired feet to museums and cathedrals.
Sphere in the sphere
Well, what can I say? Undoubtedly, the Vatican has collected many works of art that are stunning in their beauty and industrial virtuosity. Yes, it is industrial virtuosity. The official history of the Middle Ages (or the Middle Ages? ) States that Michelangelo made marble and granite sculptures with a chisel, nail and chisel. Or with what at all?
In my opinion, an engineer, such things can be made, for example, only with the help of high-end grinding and drilling tools that work at high speeds and from a constant source of energy.
Bacchus, our friend)) Made with a chisel and rasp, by hand))
The ceiling in the Vatican is covered with a painting that looks like stucco from below. In fact, the surface is absolutely smooth. ZD graphics of the Middle Ages?
medieval ZD graphics on the ceiling
The Marble Animals Hall was closed to visitors, and it was forbidden to take photos with the flash in the halls of maps and tapestries. And how could something really be filmed there - full of people, like at Stalin's funeral. You will linger for a second - a whirlpool of sweaty bodies of other tourists immediately pushes you away from your group.
But I still managed to see something.
Geographic map hall.
The maps show star cities that were wiped off the face of the earth, according to some speculations due to the nuclear war that took place 200 years ago (unofficial version).
geographical maps
geographical maps
geographical maps
geographical maps
Tapestries. Huge canvases with masterfully woven biblical stories based on Raphael's sketches.
“They were done so correctly that you are amazed to see them, thinking about how it was possible to weave hair and beards and give the threads such flexibility to the body; This work seems more of a miracle than a work of human art, because water, animals, buildings are precisely written with a brush, not woven with thread. "- J.
Vasari "Biography of the most famous painters, sculptors and architects"
Tapestry embroidered "by hand"
Some guides say that the tapestries were embroidered by hand, our Iron Jana agreed on a manufactory where they were made. My opinion is woven on high-quality weaving equipment with computer programming. Because it is impossible that it was embroidered with a cross by nuns in their gloomy dark cells. Well, the manufactory - who saw what it really was? We were not taught the history of machine parts in schools and institutes.
Sistine Chapel. Height 21 meters. Written by one master - in 5 years? The colors of the fresco are striking in their brightness, although, according to the guide, the painting could not be restored: "Just washed away the soot, which was formed after 400 years of daily burning of candles. " No comments.
The floor is also good.
And how did the masters of the Middle Ages with a chisel, a chisel and a donkey's tail brush manage to invent and put it into practice?
П
Impressed by the beauty of the hall of immaculate conception. In the paintings, important uncles argued about the possibility or impossibility of the above-mentioned mythical process, and from the center of the hall the Virgin Mary in a blue handkerchief listened to them with a mournful face.
Our sweaty and quick tour of St. Peter's Cathedral is over. It was already easier there, time to look back, take pictures and pray. I also prayed - I asked St. Peter (who, by the way, has a very long nose) to heal my ear, because during the whole trip for some reason I could not hear well, and it bothered me very much. The saint did not disappoint - after arriving home I wanted to prick my ear, and I pulled out a fleece, and a miracle! ! ! !!
- My rumor came back to me in full!
But it's time to get back to our "sheep" on the bus. Again at the pace of the waltz rushed to the subway. On the way I did not have time to buy a pillow in the shape of a cheerful poop, sadness! We took the subway to the outskirts of the city, where our bus was supposed to drive. It was dusty and sad at the stop, sad Negroes were selling sludge. I amused them a little - I bought a red bag for 5 euros. Although not very fashionable, but not quite lousy - now I show off to friends, still bought in Rome!
Meanwhile, the bus was late - the drivers got lost. One of the tourists came to the rescue - he searched for the bus and showed the way to a sad meeting place. And we drove back, 530 kilometers to Venice. Hungry and gloomy road, which has already become a native and joyful "sanitary stops".
Arrived closer to 23-00, it started to rain.
It was uncomfortable and cold, rescued by a kettle, a jar of stolen tea and jam in Budapest. In the morning we will see Venice!
Day five.
Venice.
After a good night's sleep and a light snack, we went to Venice. 20 minutes by train, then 10 minutes by boat. It started to rain. We reached St. Mark's Square and met with guides. Thank God we were given mini-walkie-talkies with headphones and we went on a sightseeing tour.
It was very uncomfortable to hear about the history of Venice in the rain. Although there was probably something to look at. The famous Doge's Palace in St. Mark's Square, but we did not get there: It is paid, and stand in line for a long time, we do not have time for it! ». After running a little through the square, we headed for the narrow streets, labyrinths and bridges. The city is certainly beautiful, but there are nuances. The monuments themselves are kept in decent condition, and the houses are damp and ragged.
Sewage, of course, flows directly into the canal, however, feces do not float - they are collected by special machines from underwater tanks under houses.
The notorious smell of urine, sung by many tourists, I did not feel, most likely because of the rain. The canals are disinfected every two days, and water from local washing machines is also drained into the canal. The streets are clean - well, their revenge, some less than 1.5 meters wide, and the narrowest street in Venice - only 54 cm. The guide told the story of how on one of the streets after a hearty lunch stuck a fat matron. For more than a day, the restaurant staff and locals toiled, trying to push the fat woman to a wider street, the scandal was incredible.
The city bears the stamp of decline, which began with the 2008 global crisis. Many shops are closed, few people. The guide voiced sad statistics - one child in Venice has one and a half dogs.
It seems that there are a lot of tourists, but the income of the Venetians has dropped significantly. Or tourists are so impoverished that they are unable to spend an extra couple of euros.
That is why the natives are fleeing from the half-flooded city far away, looking for happiness and big money, and their place is taken by even more disadvantaged Negroes and Filipinos.
Finally, the sightseeing tour (saiga and boring, but generally normal) is over, we returned to St. Mark's Square. Ride the gondola - 30 minutes. 23 euros. We were very lucky - the rain stopped at that moment. Then the whole group gathered again and went to the final race - to the supermarket and eat. Labyrinths ran again, rushed to the supermarket. Part of the group sat in a cafe, and I went to the store. I bought cheese, ketchup, booze - limoncello and vanilla. By the way, wine in packs in Italy is bottled in 1 liter and 0.25 liters (3 pieces per package). At 0.25 it is very convenient to thump in the bus.
Now you need to eat. Went to the cafe, where tourists from our group were sitting. Complex lunch - 16 euros. "If you order, we will not get a boat!
"- Our Tanechka chirped and gave me her half of a huge pizza with oysters for half price. I agreed - where to go? Pizza norms, oysters as well, coffee - 3.5 euros.
Milked, ran back to the boat. Rain falls. On the way to the window of a shop I saw a muran glass pendant. Halfway to the boat, I decided to go back and buy it. It was impossible to return from Venice without such a souvenir! I searched the store, bought a pendant and jerked back. Of course, I got lost. I stand in this labyrinth and voice - oh, where should I go? Here my aunt with a mop speaks to me in pure Russian - and here in this lane! God, salvation! From the lane I jumped straight into St. Mark's Square. I reached the meeting place - there is no one there.
I remembered that Tanya had given us all cards on the boat with the berth marked on it.
The card saved.
I ran from all sides, ignoring the downpour, occasionally poking a card under the nose of the merchants in the square. They, in turn, poked their finger in the direction I needed to run. We plunged into the boat wet as mice, I immediately got 0.25 smurfs - that's what it turned out!
Well, what else to tell ...We got a bus when I asked the drivers to open the trunk so that people could get dry things out of their suitcases, the damn men got mad and refused - a fine of 400 euros for opening the trunk! I wonder if this is true or not? What kind of nonsense is this? I had a dry jacket in the cabin, I put it on, the rest of the tourists dried up along the way.
By nightfall we reached Hungary, spent the night and by the end of the next day we had already arrived in Ukraine. The trip went without excesses, they no longer had the strength.
The last mess took place at the Lviv railway station. As soon as our bus stopped there, it rained down the wall.
So I got on the train in soaked clothes. Just like in Venice.
