vatican.

Surprise. The Italians love their Catholicism. And given that I live a short 10 minute walk from the epicentre of all things Catholic, it seems to be a little more blatant. You can't walk to the grocery store without encountering a nun, a priest, and a painting of Mary with Child on the corner of the street. Pope Benedict's subdued face greets you at every Tabacchie store as you try to buy postcard stamps and rosaries are as abundant as I <3 ROME t-shirts. But this love is not nearly as declared as when you step inside the Vatican. Beautiful and stunning on the insides as well as the out, the Vatican is quite a site to behold. But remember to bring a long sleeve sweater and wear skirts that don't show too much leg or you will only be able to marvel from afar. They ban you from entering if you are showing excessive skin.

There are guards dressed like court jesters who stand watch over the crowds and statue after statue bearing crosses and religious emblems galore.

Once you step inside it becomes difficult to focus. The floors, ceilings, walls, and alcoves are all so ornate it gets to be overwhelming. All the statues are dedicated to figures from the bible or past popes. They even go so far as to have the preserved bodies of popes in glass caskets so you can pay your respects. At the risk of sounding sacrilegious, it was beyond creepy.

Hello dead Pope.