Day 13: Rome

Yesterday we visited the crumbling ruins of Pompeii, but today we experienced the ostentatious country of the Vatican (it is the smallest country in the world!) where the museum housed famous works by Renaissance artists such as Raphael, da Vinci, and of course, Michelangelo! We weren’t allowed to take pictures of the Sistine Chapel but we are so glad to see it with our very own eyes. I even laid down to admire the ceiling before the Vatican security promptly shouted out to me “This isn’t a beach!”.

The view of St. Peter’s Square from the Vatican within the arms of Bernini’s colonnade

The entrance to the Vatican Museum

Laocoön and His Sons

The Belvedere Apollo

Rich in front of a few sarcophogi

The Gallery of Maps

This ceiling was created as an illusion of being three dimensional

My personal favorite…mosaic floors!

Bernini’s baroque-styled canopy within St. Peter’s Basilica
(Everything was massive here! The words outlining the dome are each 6 feet tall!)

Michelangelo’s Pietà

An obligatory postcard to send home from the Vatican’s mail box

Because it’s St. Patrick’s Day, we had to find beer

My excitement to finally taste authentic Cacio e Pepe…and it did not disappoint!

We have taken the motto “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” to heart by ordering the same as those around us. In this case, the owner sat a few tables from us and ordered this simple but oh so delizioso buffalo mozzarella with green beans dish