A room with a view and an Italian flag! No, really!

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Rooftop Delights and the Vatican

Our morning began with our second guided tour in Rome .... the Vatican City. Our tour guide was gifted in her understanding of art history and the treasures in the Vatican. To be honest, it was all so overwhelming. The beauty of the museum, the Sistine chapel, St. Peter's basillica and the art and history of the site was worth every penny of the guided tour. This is another example of a place where the summer crowds can be overwhelming and challenging. Despite this, I want to thank Sherry for taking me here. I prayed in St. Peters and had one of my most spiritual moments during this time. For my sisters, we must return here together and you will know of what I am trying to share here...a true connection. We took hundreds of photos of scuptures, tapestries, statues and frescos. Art pieces that I have only dreamed about seeing were right there in front of my eyes. Linking our photos to our guidebooks may take us hours.

We returned to Hotel Bernini via a ten euro roller coaster ride ... these taxi drivers speed through the streets at 70 km per hour with a cm clearance on either side of the car! I thank God that we were wise enough to avoid renting a car here...it is an incredible experience and one must be buckled in and be able to laugh - otherwise you might just cry from the thrill of it all!


One could easily fall in love with Italy with Luxury Link accommodations! This hotel is amazing....we spent our afternoon today having lunch on the terrace...we wanted to take pictures of our plates before we ate but thought that was too touristo-ish! Lobster salad, veal, lemonello liquor and an assortment of wines...all inclusive and very high end. I'm so happy that Sherry has the skills and interest in surfing and bidding on this package...it is over the top! We enjoyed the rooftop breeze with the sun on our faces for several hours today discussing all that we needed to...the vino was from the Castella Romani region where the Pope has a summer residence. We reminisced, celebrated and visited and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves - how blessed are we to spend this time together in such a magnificent city?

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