Vatican Museum, Day 3

Two days of scouting the Vatican Museums like a tricky location, and I’ve refined my strategy. I gallop in, turn right into the Pinacoteca and head straight to the last room, the Raphael room. After 30 minutes alone with la Fornarina’s man, I ambled around the Egyptian rooms. Thinking about the contrast of the beautiful marble effigy of the knight and the desiccated mummy. This is probably not the eternal life the Pharaoh was hoping for. 

I followed my nose around the sculptures lining the Galleria dei Busti.

I walked the length of the hall, looking into the face of long dead Romans and Greeks. Instead of the blank perfection of gods, people looked back at me.
Here’s a tip – on the right side of the staircase leading down to this is a narrow door, and down a few twisting steps is a miracle – an uncrowded four stall bathroom. It’s staffed, so it’s always clean and somehow overlooked.
Two days of looking and not drawing had made me a little crazy and I decided to take a breather in the Cortile Della Pigna. I sat on a bench nearest the pinecone, flanked by peacocks and those serene Egyptian lions, and drew a few postcards for my family. The tide of tourists ebbed and flowed past me. Sketching takes me to that still place where the chatter of my monkey brains quiets down and it’s just hand and eye, line and light. It was nearly 2 when I checked the time, and I decided to grab a taxi and go back to Valentinos for lunch. On my way to grab a taxi from the stand directly outside the exit door, I looked left and saw the triple layers of security that have been in place every day. Now might be the time to mention visibly armed guards seem to be outside every monument, church vestibule, museum, and palazzo. I can’t figure out how the branches of law enforcement and military divvy up the territory, but all the men cradle some kind of assault weapon and have intimidating stares, like they were raised by gyrfalcons.  I don’t know if they just look fierce, or are actually bloodthirsty, I just hope they’re competent with all that firepower. I keep a nervous eye on where the business end of the guns are pointed.
When I walked into Valentinos, it was such a good feeling to be greeted with recognition and pleasure. I had a leisurely meal and was ready for bed, though it was only 3.  Uh oh. Turns out there are not enough hours in the day to soak in art/eat/write/draw/read/sleep. I am getting up 6am to fly through the Vatican doors at 8am, but I stayed up until after midnight Monday and after 1am Tuesday night.
I have promised myself that I will turn off all electronics, no later than 10 tonight. I am so very tired right now that staying awake is really hard, and it’s only 7. I’ve got to keep my eyes open until 9 or I’ll be up at 3am. That would not be an improvement.