Vatican City

Trip Start Aug 25, 2008

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of Italy Vatican City, Italy
Wednesday, September 17, 2008

The next morning, we decided we should sleep in just a little! :) We headed to the cafe we went to the morning before for our usual cappuccino and pastry. These two things are by far my favorites so far in Italy...even better than pizza! Then, rather than making our way to the Vatican like good little girls, we stopped at an outdoor market to do a little shopping! The outdoor market was pretty big, but it had the most delicious fruit ever! After getting our fill, we made our way to the Vatican which was AMAZING! Picture this, you are walking through Rome, then you suddenly walk into a different world! One moment you are in a busy city and the next you find yourself in a huge plaza surrounded by beautiful towers and monuments. Actually, I didn't know this, but the Vatican is it's own country. They have their own government, a monarchy with the pope as head of that monarchy. They also have their own standing military , the swiss guards, who, according to Vatican law, have to be good looking! If only every city had that law! In Vatican City, decapitation is legal so don't mess with the pope! Vatican city is also the country with the lowest birth rate....makes sense!

Our first stop here was the Vatican museum. This building alone is gorgeous. The walls and ceilings are covered in paintings and sculptures like I've never seen. Then they fill this beautiful space with statues from all over Roman, Egyptian, and Greek history. My head was buzzing with all of the scenes and information coming at me. The museum ends in the Sistine Chapel which contains two of Michelangelo's most famous fresco paintings, "The Last Judgment" which is in the chapel's altar wall, and "Scenes from Genesis" which is on the ceiling of the chapel. My advice is that if your knowledge on the paintings of the Sistine Chapel is a little rusty, get a guide. We did and we are so thankful for it. She explained all of the paintings, why Michelangelo chose to paint them, and what the reactions where to his paintings. It was perfect! After the museum, we made our way to St. Peter's Basilica, which contains one of my favorite pieces by Michelangelo, The Pieta. The Pieta is at the entrance of St. Peter's Basilica enclosed in bullet proof glass because apparently, The Pieta has been attacked in the past. For me, this sculpture was amazing to see in real life. When I finally stopped staring at the Pieta, I realized that St. Peter's Basilica is not only huge, but stunning. There are elaborate sculptures everywhere. The ceiling, like every other ceiling here, is a work of art. We wondered around this Basilica for almost two hours, there was so much to see! After the Basilica, we went down to see the tombs of the popes, which are buried under St. Peter's Basilica. That was basically the conclusion of our stop in Vatican City. I can't say much more than, I urge everyone to go here...it is beautiful. Pictures don't do it justice...neither do words. Just go!

After we left Vatican City, we had dinner at Rome's first Pizzeria. It was a little hole in the wall place with amazing pizza! After we left here we decided the best way to follow great pizza is with great gelato! That is precisely what we did. This has been one of my favorite days in my travels. It is sad that we had to call it an early night because we would be leaving Rome to catch a 7am train. Oh...that night we also went to the Trevi fountain...we had to go there because we were told if you throw a coin over one shoulder, whatever wish you make will come true AND if you throw a coin over the other shoulder, you are ensured to come back to Rome. I can't wait to go back!

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