The two weeks in Rome flew by, and I'm behind on all of my posts!  (Our internet connection in Rome was very unreliable and I was getting frustrated trying to re-load pictures a bunch of times!)  With Rome being the longest stretch of our journey, we were able to see a lot and enjoy all that Rome has to offer.  It is such a fascinating city - and I don't think I'll ever get sick of Italian food!

During a few days of our time in Rome, we were able to visit the Vatican and some of the buildings inside.  Vatican City the smallest internationally recognized independent state in the world (by both area and population).  After dodging the onslaught of people trying to sell tour tickets, street vendors, and the masses of people headed in, we made it inside the brick walls that border the state.  Once inside, we were able to walk around Piazza San Pietro and see the Basilica di San Pietro (Saint Peter's Basilica).  The Piazza is the large circular area outside the basilica where crowds gather to see the Pope speak.  The basilica's dome is instantly recognizable, and we were able to see it in the skyline throughout our time in Rome.

Piazza San Pietro

One of the guards

Basilica di San Pietro (Saint Peter's Basilica)

We were able to explore the area a few times, then dedicated an entire day to the Vatican Museums, and seeing the Sistine Chapel.  After waiting in a long line in the rain, we finally made it inside the entrance, where we were in for quite a day.  We were herded through the building after building, slowly pushing our way through the thousands of people visiting. 

The walls and ceilings were covered with paintings and tapestries throughout all of the buildings.

The Belvedere Torso sculpture

Even the floors were highly detailed with intricate mosaics

Although the buildings were intricately detailed, and very interesting to see, the struggle through the visit was only made worth it when we finally made it to the Sistine Chapel.  Between 1508 and 1512, Michelangelo painted 12,000 square feet of the chapel ceiling while lying on his back on scaffolding.  No photos are allowed inside the Sistine Chapel, but I was able to find plenty online to share!

Inside the Sistine Chapel... One of the most iconic images from the ceiling: this depicts the creation of Adam.

 The ceiling was absolutely incredible, but being herded through a warm building, shuffling and squeezing past thousands of people certainly made for a long day.  We were grateful to have gotten the opportunity to see such extraordinary artwork, but I can't say I would like to go back anytime soon!

Laura

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