Rome, Day 2

Today was an early morning day. We had a Vatican City/Museum Tour with a climb to the top of St. Peters’s Dome (305 steps up, in case you’re wondering). Vatican City is rich in historical stories and was just amazing. St. Peter‘s Dome provided such a panoramic view of all of Rome. It was very beautiful and informational. After that we went to the Vatican Museum where we learned a lot more information regarding the tapestries and murals all over the walls and ceilings. We eventually made our way into the Sistine Chapel which is much smaller than I originally imagined, but when picturing that one artist did it all, it’s definitely clear why it’s famous and seen as a masterpiece. Even the masterpiece was altered in later years and learning that type of information was new and kind of comical to the reasons. After a small break from the Vatican, we made our way to the Colosseum. Our tour (originally supposed to be on Sunday) got cancelled for a national holiday so we tried to find a last minute tour. We did, but then the time of the meeting changed and we were never informed so we were quite confused after (what we think was) arriving at the meeting point. BUT. I remembered seeing a tour guide shop not 100m from where we were that I had seen previously on Viator. We stopped in and just our luck: they had 1 opening on their next English tour for the underground colosseum. We got that last spot and 15 minutes later we were on our way down the street to the Colosseum. The underground aspect was very informative and being inside the underground corridors really helped set the mood as to just how massive the overall structure was. We explored the first and second floors as well, learning all about the referees and the demons that went along with the fights. After doing the Colosseum, we headed to a restaurant that every (sane) American seeks out when they travel: Hard Rock Cafe. We enjoyed not eating pasta, pastries, and pizza for a meal. Then I got a shirt (for a small project I am working on) and walked back to the hotel where we got comfy for the night. Get to sleep in a little bit longer tomorrow before doing Trevi Fountain (heading there in the morning before people pour in) and then we have a Pantheon tour along with another cooking class. Hopefully Day 3 goes a bit smoother!