When in Roma (Day 1)

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We set off from Florence early in the morning, taking a quick break in Orivieto (more to come on that later) for lunch and a tour. When we arrived in Rome that night, it was evening so we had dinner at our hotel and then just hung out in the lobby. I think all of us American kids scared away the other guests.

The next morning we rode the bus in the the historic city center. We first stopped at the Coliseum, it was huge. So impressive, and so old. It is truly amazing that it is still standing, the Romans were way ahead of their time. Outside we walked around the Arch of Constantine, and then made our way up the the Vatican City. Rome is so much different then I imagined. I just expected the all the building to just pop out of the ground as we got closer. However, it is an amazingly vibrant and active city, where people walk by the Pantheon daily and don't even take notice. Crazy!

The Vatican was SO AMAZING!! Walking into the Sistine Chapel, I think I might have cried a little bit. It was absolutely beautiful. I couldn't take pictures, but they wouldn't have done it justice anyway. I have seen it in pictures but they can convey the feeling. (Definitely one of my favorite places.) San Pietro was just as impressive (I am over using that word, but can't think of anything else to describe). I couldn't believe the monumental scale. It was so much bigger than it looks in pictures. The art, sculpture, mosaics, tombs were fantastic. The view from Piazza San Pietro was breath-taking, it was pretty crowded, I can only imagine what it is like on special occasions.

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Photos

View from Inside
Me and a few friends, looking like major tourists!

From the Museum
San Pietro from the Vatican Museum window

Incredible Size
Point of Reference: The letters are six feet tall!

San Pietro
You can almost see the dome over the top