Rome, Italy during Påsklov (Easter Vacation) Day 4

After doing some research ahead of time, we decided that when we toured the Vatican we would do it on our own with the Audio Guide Headphones you could rent there.  By booking our visit ahead of time, we saved a couple of hours waiting in a long line.  Also, many of the tour companies claimed VIP "Skip the Line" access, but I figured out that as long as your tickets were reserved, you got to skip the line too!

So we were set to visit the Vatican on Day 4 and it was really close to our hotel.  As we approached the walls that surround the Vatican, we weren't exactly sure where to go, but sort of headed in the direction the tour groups looked like they were going.  We got to what appeared to be St. Peter's Square and went through security just on the border of it and went right in where massive amounts of people were sitting and watching.  There were a couple of large screens set up with the Pope on it and he was talking, but he looked to be inside, except that when he said something and the audience cheered, you could hear it live on the screen as well as in the crowd so I told Thomas I thought he was up on the stage set up in the front of the St. Peter's Basilica...

Later I happened to zoom in on the same picture to where I imagined the Pope was sitting, and sure enough, it was him!

I had in fact gone the wrong way, but because of that we got to see the Pope speaking live!  That was pretty awesome!

Anyway, we headed back to the Vatican and walked right in.

The kid's Audio Guides were specific for children so it made it a little more interesting for them to relate to the things they were seeing, but the Vatican is filled with 4 miles I believe I read of sculptures, artworks and other collections of Popes from all throughout history.  Of course it was very crowded to walk to the Sistine Chapel which is most famous for its ceiling painted by Michelangelo in the early 1500s, and for where the Conclave meet to elect a new Pope.

There are many rooms they lead you through on the way, and Ben was into the different stories he learned about in some of the rooms, but I think he liked the Gallery of Maps the best...

We also saw paintings by Raphael in the Raphael Rooms...

I think we liked this painting in the Vatican the best because it was on a ceiling and in person, it looks like a broken statue falling to the ground in 3-D...

Of course you were not allowed to take any pictures in the Sistine Chapel, and it was completely crowded in there, but it was really neat to see in person and we are glad we did...I think I was expecting it to be bigger though.  It was a small room no bigger than a large auditorium with nothing in it, just the painted walls and ceilings with stories from the bible.


Here are more pictures from the Vatican courtyard...

Behind us, you can see the top of St. Peter's Basilica...

After the Vatican, we are lunch the we went back to St. Peter's square in hope of seeing the Basilica (entrance was free, but you had to wait in a long line for that). When we got to the square, the line was wrapped around the entire square so being a little tired, we decided to take a break from site seeing and we chilled a little back at the hotel. Later we found a place for more Gelato, yummy...

The boys enjoyed picking out favors...

It was such a great day!