Rome

 We arrived in Rome on Monday and have been busy walking and eating our way through Rome. We have walked over 15,000 steps each day and have been awed by the art and history that is our on nearly every block. There are fountains, statues, and piazzas around every corner. We’ve also seen sections of old aqueducts and “new buildings” from the 15-1600s. We toured the Vatican on Tuesday and were blown away by the amount of art in the Vatican museums, the Sistine chapel ceiling, and the enormous St Peters Bailica. There has been rain every day and we have been soaked a few times, but we dry out again and appreciate the cooler temperatures the rain brings. 

The Vatican museums- amazingly decorated rooms from floor to ceiling. Many of which used to be private living quarters of the Pope. We kept looking up to marvel at the ceilings and then realized the floors were very cool too .

Walking across he Tiber River to get to Vatican City

Looking into St Peters Square

There is art from all around the world at the Vatican, notice the Egyptian Hieroglyphics under the lion. 

This is the floor, still so beautiful 

Our guide told us that Michelangelo chose not to restore this statue saying it was perfect as it is.  

The emperor Nero’s second wife’s bathtub, made of Egyptian red marble

This statue is one that has kept its glass eyes, while most others have lost there eyes over time. 

This is was one of my favorite paintings to see in person. “The School of Athens” by Rafael. He painted himself, Michelangelo, and Bernini (architect who worked on St Peters basilica) into the painting. 

Michelangelo 

Rafael has the black hat

St Peter’s Basilica- this was hard to take pictures of. It was all so large and spectacular but hard to really get it through the lens of a camera.

On of many stone mosaics inside the basilica. We would have thought they were paintings if our guide had not told us that there were no paintings inside, only mosaics. They are still so detailed! 

The tomb of St Peter

Around Rome