Tourin' Roma

Before I start to talk about the day today, I have to mention a little more about the drive into Rome. After we crossed the mountain range, we had to drive through the Tuscan region to get into the actual city of Rome. In this region there were not only lots of vineyards, (as expected,) but sunflowers! Fields and fields of bright and beautiful sunflowers to welcome us into Rome. It was one of my favorite sights so far!

Today we woke up bright and early for our special entrance into the Vatican City. I was expecting the Vatican to be a separate part of Rome, but it was actually right smack in the middle of the city. After we crossed the "border" into the new country, our tour guide took us through the highlights. Apparently, the Vatican houses one of the largest art collections in the world, with over 450,000 pieces. Fortunately for our feet, we didn't try and see them all! We did however see a few sculptures, tapestries, wall paintings and frescos.

After our quick tour of the art, we moved into the Sistine Chapel. We all got a lesson on how to behave when inside, (no pictures, no talking, minimal breathing,) so we would not damage the quality of Michaelangelo's masterpiece. It was truly impressive. We also learned that he did not in fact paint it lying down, but on scaffolding and at an angle. We saw the area where Pope's are elected and other areas of Papal importance. For anyone who has read any Dan Brown, it was pretty cool to put the areas in place with the stories.

Mr. Fox - Ain't misbehavin'

We then moved into St. Peter's Basilica which was massive and ornate. So many things to look at! We also got to see Michaelangelo's famous "Pieta" which was protected inside.

We then moved outside and made a quick lunch break (thank goodness!) before going sightseeing in the rest of the city. We saw ruins, towers, pillars, obelisks, and temples, which all led up the massive Colosseum.

We ended the day with a typical Roman dinner, (which basically should just mean "more food than you could or should eat",) where we danced in an open air restaurant and Michael got to show off his smooth moves to the crowd. We got applause after, so hopefully I wasn't stumbling too badly. :) A little bit of vino did make me dizzy while dancing though!

All in all, a wonderful day in Roma!

Ciao!- Emmy