April 4–8, 2017 | Our third stop during our spring break was in Rome, the booming city of history, art, and tourists.
Our hotel in Rome was located along the Vatican City wall, and it ended up being a strategic location given our early morning Vatican tour the first morning of our stay. Though the Vatican often comes up in conversation, I didn’t know what to expect.
One of the most surprising things to me was the quantity of art that the Vatican holds inside its walls. Our early access pass to the Sistine Chapel was certainly a highlight of the visit to the smallest country on earth, but in order to arrive at the chapel, we had to walk through what seemed like a dozen hallways covered with priceless pieces of art.
When we finally did arrive at Sistine Chapel, we were floored. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed inside the chapel, but I no doubt recommend visiting it when you go. Michaelangelo’s (and all the other artist’s) contributions truly make the space feel special.
Bit by bit we started to understand the grandiosity of Rome, especially upon entering St. Peter’s Basilica. I really had no idea what to expect, but even after having seen some of the other great cathedrals in Europe, this one took my breath away.
We spent close to 8 hours inside the Vatican City walls, and we were sure to pick up our first gelato (pictured below) on the way back to our hotel. This filled us up for the afternoon until we went to a delightful dinner at a charming restaurant across from our hotel. Jenni’s pizza was definitely the highlight there, though the homemade pasta was quite good as well.
I might have been tempted to think that after the Vatican, nothing would seem that impressive. How wrong I would have been to think that! Our stay kept getting better. The main activities over the next few days included touring many Roman ruins from Ostia Antica to the Coliseum to the Roman forum. No trip to Rome would be complete with selfie pics at Trevi Fountain, so alas, we happily stopped by (after grabbing some more gelato).
Pictures tell the story better than words, so have a look!
-T
