Vatican City & Ancient Rome

Sorry we didn't post yesterday... but you will understand better once we tell you about our jam-packed and totally awesome day of sight seeing. :)

The day started off with a visit to Vatican City. We had a wonderful guided tour of the Vatican Museums (including the Raphael Rooms where the famous "School of Athens" painting is, and of course, the magnificent Sistine Chapel--what a sight!!). The second part of our Vatican tour was focused on St. Peter's basilica. Our tour guide took us down below the church to see the tombs of past popes, which was quite a moving experience. Inside the basilica itself, we learned fascinating details about the construction of this amazing structure, as well as the many artistic treasures inside of it. We were blown away by the massive scale and the beautifully ornate decor of St. Peter's!

Just when we thought we had seen it all, the afternoon portion of our tour took us to the incredible Roman Forum and Colosseum! Here we saw what remains of the original ancient city, and even got to see the very spot where Julius Caesar himself was buried! The Colosseum was awesome too. It was incredible to be able to walk through this ancient stadium/amphitheatre and see where the gladiator battles took place and imagine what a spectacle it must have been.

Here are some pictures of us at the Vatican and the Forum: