Swiss Brass Band | Vatican City, Italia

During my visit to Vatican City dozens of marching bands in folk attire gathered for a mass musical assault on the holy quarters. They warmed up outside the Vatican walls, marched across Piazza San Pietro, through San Pietro Basilica and back across the piazza. After the spectacle ended, they hung around the Tuscan Colonnades chatting and added a festive spirit and dash of color to the bustling piazza.

My wife was in San Pietro Basilica enjoying a quiet service and was startled when the bands marched through. I had just emerged from the Vatican pub and the cacophony of a dozen bands struck my beer soaked brain like a crashing wave. Once I regained my composure, I realized this sonic landscape was strangely similar to Italian traffic—total calamity. Nice knee socks!

EOS 40D and EF-s 17-55 2.8 IS USM