Europe

Rome, Italy, Vatican City

We then walked around the Vatican City wall to the Saint Peter's Basilica. That is also an amazing view; and overwhelming!! We didn't go inside because there was a very long line and we were tired. We had spent 3 hours in the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.

In the late afternoon, Luca took us on a walking tour of the Aventine Hill area. This is one of the seven hills that Rome is built on. At the base of the hill is the Circus, used for horse racing in the Roman times. At the top of the hill we had another beautiful view of the city.

(to be continued)

Rome, Italy, Vatican Museums

Today was the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel!!! It was wonderful!! Not many people were there and we took our time just taking in all the beautiful works of art. Of course there is no way to see everything; it is just too huge. The pictures will show you a selection of things we saw - statuary, ceiling paintings, and the Pope's carriages and cars.

The Sistine Chapel was the highlight! We were able to find seats along the wall and spent an hour looking up at the beauty. We had audio-phones that tried to explain the painting to us, but it is just so overwhelming, it was hard to take it all in.

(to be continued)

Rome, Italy, Day 2 Vittorio Emanuele II Monument

After lunch, we walk to the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument. It is monument built in honor of the first king of a unified Italy located in Rome in 1885; so it is relatively new!! It is fondly called "the wedding cake". It is so elaborately designed that it is hard to describe and even take pictures of.

Behind the wedding cake is a wonderful view of the ruins of the Forum, government buildings of ancient Rome and the Colosseum.

(to be continued)