Let me confess: although I have called Rome "home" for almost twenty years now, I have never visited the Vatican Museums. Too many crowds too many lines, too much hassle, so I consoled myself by admiring the impressive dome of St. Peter and imagining the magnificence of the Sistine Chapel. 

This changed in the middle of July, thanks to a friend who booked a guided visit for me and I finally entered the bronzed gate inaugurated by Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the 2000 Jubilee. No massive crowds and long weight in this middle of a usually busier summer period.