We made it to our Vatican City Museums tour on time and skipped the lines thanks to booking it early and with a tour company. The museums were so extensive...our tour guide was very good and had some great information to share (much better than the previous day). There were fresco-style paintings in almost every room with hundreds of statues, paintings, and tapestries. The highlight, obviously, was the Sistine Chapel. The moment we crossed the threshold into the room, I was in awe. The colors are so vibrant (thanks to a cleaning in the 90s), and everything is so detailed. It absolutely baffles me how Michelangelo could have stood on a scaffold, looking up at the ceiling with paint dripping in his eyes for four years. Michelangelo didn't even like painting! And yes, I took pictures even though you are not supposed to. Oh well. I could have sat there for hours taking it all in. Unfortunately, we didn't have that kind of time.
It was a Wednesday when we visited and the weather was nice which meant that the Pope was having his Papal Audience in St. Peter's Square. We couldn't get into the square or Basilica until 1:30 (it goes without saying that the Pope reserves the right to use any space in the Vatican at any time he chooses). 
We wandered around the museums some more, but went back to the square when it was open. We went inside St. Peter's Basilica, famous in Catholic tradition for having St. Peter buried beneath the alter. It is the largest Christian Church in the world; it can seat about 60,000 people. It was so gorgeous. There were so many statues and frescoes including the famous La Pieta. The sculpture has always been one of my favorites since I had studied Michelangelo in high school. We walked around for a bit, and prayed in a side room, but other things were calling us.
We wandered around the museums some more, but went back to the square when it was open. We went inside St. Peter's Basilica, famous in Catholic tradition for having St. Peter buried beneath the alter. It is the largest Christian Church in the world; it can seat about 60,000 people. It was so gorgeous. There were so many statues and frescoes including the famous La Pieta. The sculpture has always been one of my favorites since I had studied Michelangelo in high school. We walked around for a bit, and prayed in a side room, but other things were calling us.We went outside to the square which had chairs set up because of the Papal Audience earlier in the morning, so the pictures aren't the greatest. But, the day was bright and sunny like the day before, so that was amazing. I got to actually see the square and experience how massive it really is. I knew there were thousands of people in the square on Easter, but I didn't 
think the area could hold that many people. It is still difficult to believe that so many people could fit in the space, but it is larger than I thought it was originally. Oh, and I finally got to the some Swiss Guard in the their outfits! In the words of Emily, "I love me some Swiss Guard!" ;) The Vatican was the number one place I wanted to visit, and I could have spent all day there...I wish I had! I have decided that I will go back someday. I don't know when, but I know I have to!
think the area could hold that many people. It is still difficult to believe that so many people could fit in the space, but it is larger than I thought it was originally. Oh, and I finally got to the some Swiss Guard in the their outfits! In the words of Emily, "I love me some Swiss Guard!" ;) The Vatican was the number one place I wanted to visit, and I could have spent all day there...I wish I had! I have decided that I will go back someday. I don't know when, but I know I have to!We got a late lunch at a pizzeria...I had prosciutto, mushroom, and mozzarella pizza with a good ol' Coke. The waitress didn't speak a lot of English, but they always know what I mean when I say, "Coke, please!" It was so good. Italian at its best. From there, we walked to Castel Sant' Angelo to see it during the day. Although it was great at night and tourist free, I was glad I got to see it in the sunlight. Again, if we had had time, I would have gone in, but time was something we were short of. Then, we walked to the Pantheon. It was under construction on the front, so pictures were impossible, but the inside is an amazing architectural feat. It was built in 126 AD as a temple to the Roman gods. Today, it is a Catholic Church dedicated to St. Mary. We had our daily gelato outside the Pantheon (just for you, Emily!) and enjoyed the sun. From there we saw the Column of Marcus Arelius, and we walked to the Spanish Steps. It was extremely crowded, so we didn't stick around long. We did learn that the fountain by the Spanish Steps was safe to drink from, and apparently it has the sweetest water in all of Rome. I'm not sure if that's true, but it was cold and very refreshing!
Sorry if these updates are coming at a snail's pace, but I have been sick and at my internship, so I am trying to get caught up quickly so I can actually update about things going on this week! Hopefully I will get another one up today...we will see how that works out.
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