May 2nd- Last day in Rome and Italy

Slept in a little as just had St.Peter’s Square and the Vatican on our do visit list. We got ready and left around 9:30 or so. Our research showed that it would take about one hour and eight minutes walking. It was a beautiful day with no rain in the forecast so off we go. The route was quite straight forward so we arrived just after 10. Guys everywhere trying to get you to buy a ticket to get in and avoid the lines. Bull, everyone has to get in line as it’s free entry into the Basilica. You pay to climb the Duomo only. One of the guys trying to get us to buy a ticket said that the line would take two hours to get through. Our guided tour for the Vatican was only at two pm so we figured we’d have enough time. The line did snake around quite a distance but it seemed to advance fairly well. We walk to the end and start the cattle walk. We get to the entrance in less than one hour so we are good. But holy man, there are so many people in there.

Statue inside St. Peter’s Basilica

The Dome of the Basilica

The Pietà

One of the pope’s statue

Beautiful paintings everywhere 

The square in front of St Peter’s

One of the columns of a canopy 

We leave the Basilica, stop to buy and eat a sandwich and start walking towards the Vatican. It’s a ten, fifteen min walk. 

I am so glad that we bought our tickets ahead online. We are early but that is fine. We find a place to sit and wait about 30 minutes. At two, we are called up, given an audio set and an ear phone. We are about twenty in our group. The guide is very good. She explains some of the statues, the rooms, the paintings, etc. But we really only hear about one twentieth or less of what is in the museum. It’s quite amazing, but with all of the people, a little frustrating as well.

A rare bronze statue in the Vatican museum. 

Also a rare purple marble from Egypt

The ceiling in the last hall 

Called torso

A painting by Raphael with Michealangelo in it. 

Two Swiss guards. Since the very beginning,  the Swiss guard have been charged with protecting the Pope. 

Same Rafael painting as above this time showing two philosophers, Plato and Aristotle (walking with the red and blue robes. 

We walk back around 4:30. Time for a little rest but we decide to walk to the train station and buy our train tickets for the airport in the morning. From what Iread on line, it sounds like it’s really busy and confusing to get tickets so we want to eliminate all possible hassles. It’s after 7 by the time we decide to go. It’s past 8:30 when we finally arrive at the restaurant we were planning on going to, near our Airbnb. Since it’s our last night I have a Margherita pizza and Ron has a freshly made pasta. Ron has room to help me finish my pizza as it’s getting pretty late. I’m looking forward to getting regular eating times again. Lots of dreaming every night for both of us. 

Well, the end of the trip is here. This will be my last entry for our Italy trip.