May
18
Written by:
TravelingProfessor
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Rome can be crowded, especially this time of year. Personally, I don't like to spend my vacation waiting on long lines and I suppose the people who travel with me don't like it either. So with some good planning, we had a productive day with no long lines
Castel Sant' Angel (also known as Hadrian's Tomb) is one of the more underrated attractions in Rome. It offers a spectacular vista of the city. On this breezy and warm day in the 70's, we climbed to the top and got some of the best photos of our trip.
Walking into Vatican City we stopped for lunch. Our group gets along great and after a 90-minute lunch I sometimes think they enjoy each other's company more than they like seeing the sights of Rome. We dined on pizza and pasta and salad in a breezy casual restaurant.
When we arrived at the Vatican Museum at about 2:45, there was hardly a line. We walked right in. I have been to the museum many times, and now I get pleasure from seeing the looks on our traveler's faces as they look around in awe of the great works of art. Of course, the Vatican Museum tour culminates in a visti to the Sistine Chapel. Silently we take in Michelangelo's work as it surrounds us from all angles.
We then enter the Basilica of St. Peter. Because of the smaller crowds we can get up close to the Pieta and linger for as long as we wish to see the fine details of this intricate sculpture. This history-filled gigantic church is something everyone should see once in their life.
We get back to the hotel at about 6 p.m. Everyone is kind of wiped out from a long day. We had grand dinner plans but everyone seems content to enjoy some wine, order in, and chat the night away, but no before we toast a couple in our group on their 25th wedding anniversary.
1 comment(s) so far...
Great day Steve!! We had time to climb to the TOP of St. Peter's dome. My calves are screaming at me but it was worth the effort!
By Kathleen Allenbach on
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
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