Early rise and shine to leave at 7am to catch a cab for our tour of Vatican City. Had cappuccino and Cornettos at the Vatican Cafe, and watched the seemingly millions of people queuing up for tickets and tours. Later we learned that 25,000 people visit the Vatican each day. One of the pictures shows the entrance to the museum, with Michaelangelo on one side and Raphael on the other.

At 9 Am we met our 20 person, 3 hour City Wonders tour, guided by Francesca. We were amazed at the crowds. Pretty sure all 25,000 were there already. We maneuvered through security and then began the tour with the Pine Cone courtyard, the pine cone full of seeds being a symbol of life. There was a modern piece called Sphere within a Sphere by Pomodoro (see the picture) which reflected the courtyard around it. We went inside to go through a few of the galleries. (It is said that if you stood in front of each piece in the Vatican collections for one minute, it would take 88 days.) It was literally wall to wall people in narrow corridors so perhaps not the best opportunity to appreciate the art collections. Still, pretty darn amazing.

Francesca took us on "The Long March" which is a series of galleries a quarter mile long. In the first gallery we saw a collection of Egyptian artifacts. In the next. the walls were lined with gigantic, intricately woven tapestries that told stories from historical events. Next, a gallery of painted, wall size maps that showed the geography and topology of The Mediterranean area as it was in that period. Many works were commissioned by Pope Urban VIII in the mid-1600's, and included the Bee as the logo of the Barberini Family. Then we moved to frescos, mostly by Raphael. Incredible detail and colors, and massive in size. The floors and ceilings in the galleries were worth seeing in their own right. Finally we entered the Sistine Chapel and stood in silence to look at the ceiling and at The Last Judgement by Michaelangelo. It cannot be described adequately...

We emerged from the Galleries and visited St Peters Basilica, the largest church in the world. Here again, words are not adequate. We passed by several of the many side chapels (each as big as a regular church), saw the Pieta (behind bullet proof glass), touched the feet of St Peters statue. The sheer size and beauty of the dome and Bernini's Canopy over the main altar were breathtaking. Francesca was an awesome guide, keeping up the flow of information for 3 hours. The original plan at the end of the tour was to climb the 551 steps to the Dome, but we just couldn't do it. Plus, we are staying at an Airbnb with a rooftop terrace so we can see the city panorama including St. Peter's.

We left the Vatican and walked past Castel Sant' Angelo and across the Tiber River via the Ponte Umberto (bridge). Beautiful stroll, outside and less crowded. We found a little trattoria for pizza and wine. We then bought a 24 hour ticket on the Big Bus Hop and Go. The idea was to ride around the city for a couple of hours, see the sites, and get the lay of the land. However, we got off near our digs to shower and change, buy groceries and hang out for awhile, then decided to delay the bus tour until Saturday. We ate caprese, played cards and rested our poor little feet.

Eventually we went to dinner at a wonderful place Karol found. Can't stop taking foodie pictures because everything is so amazing! We've had perfect weather especially for evening strolls when it's a little cooler. Tomorrow the Coliseum, the Forum, and Palantine Hill. Everyday the Garmin watch records more steps, it ups the goal. The goal now is 11,000 steps a day!