Roma Day 2

This was written on 6/15/19 and posted on 6/18/19.

Today, we started our day with a 30 minute walk to the Vatican for our tour of the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel. I can tell we are near to the end of our vacation because we are all dragging. This morning was hard. It is extremely hot out and we have been going to bed late each night, since that is the culture here. We had to be at the Vatican at 8:10am so we left at 7:15 am so that we had time to stop for coffee and a bite to eat. Kate and Jack were struggling from the start. This tour lasted about 3 hours and was standing or walking the entire time. For the kids, it was a big church tour with a lot of things they didn’t necessarily care to learn about. I am sure they will feel different when they are older, but for now, that’s where they are. I pretty much expected this and hope that they gleaned the important things off the tour.

First, as we left the ticket center we were given a great view of the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica

Next, we went through the Vatican museum and the Borgia Apartment. The last three photos are of the artwork by Raphael. After this we entered the Sistine Chapel featuring the art of Michelangelo. We were not allowed to take pictures of the Sistine Chapel.

Next, we went to St. Peter’s Basilica. Outside the Basilica, there is the Holy Door. It is opened every 25 years and and stays open for a year. All who walk through this door are cleansed of sin. You can only do this once in your lifetime. the back of the door is filled in with concrete. It will open again in 2025.

Inside St. Peter’s Basilica, we saw La Pieta, a sculpture of St. Peter, the Papal Altar, and other beauty.

Lastly, we went out to the Vatican Square.

Next, we went to a restaurant recommended by our tour guide. Our waiter was fun.

On the way back to the hotel we passed Castel Sant’Angelo.

Of course, we rested at the hotel before supper, and after supper we decided to walk to the Pantheon since it was only a ten minute walk. Well, our GPS was not working out well and we ended up making a big circle around the pantheon and walked about 4 miles. But on the way we saw Alter della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland) and Piazza Navona.