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Published: October 11th 2014
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We are waiting to get into the Vatican Museum.
The grounds are beautiful, and the buildings are well maintained. So begin today with 5:15 wake up call, so you can make 6:30 breakfast, but perhaps with a moment to connect to wifi in the lobby as you pass through. Nope, big line of people waiting in line to get in for breakfast at 6:30, because tour buses are leaving hotel for Vatican City. Oh, I guess we aren't the only ones going huh?
Breakfast was good, enjoyable, and not rushed, since our bus didn't leave until 8:15.
Then, the crowds began. The tour guide was wonderful, and prepared us for everything. Francisca is a pro. We got off the bus, and met the quick scam artists, selling wraps for the ladies, and post cards for anyone willing to give up 1 Euro for 20 cards. Francisca noted that there were real vendors at the Vatican that you should buy from, since these swipe the product from real vendors, and are selling them without any permits to sell. After our tour, I couldn't find any, and asked her about it. They are all around, did you check here, pointing to various places. "Oh, I know why, the police just came through, and when they hear the sirens, they leave,
Walking the grounds before Vatican Museum
This is just one of the many fountains, we will be seeing the next couple of weeks. Fountains, squares, churches, halls of justice, and tons of history. and stay gone until the police leave. The police know their game, and run them off because they have no permits to sell.
When someone goes to Rome, you might expect some pictures of churches. There are churches everywhere, all built from all times from Constantine to present. We saw the Sistine Chapel today, St. Peter's Basilica, and a couple of others, that I wasn't taking notes on, and were churches for Saints that I had heard of but couldn't remember why they had a church built and named after them.
I'm not going to try and repeat the history behind it, but your research aide, Google, can help you with the dates, times, Michael Angelo, his art, painting, how the Popes treated him, and how there are no paintings in the Basilica, just pictures that look like paintings, but are in fact, mosaics, made from tiny tiles.
After dodging the pick pockets, 16 empty wallets were found in the Sistine Chapel one day last week, we got on the bus, and headed back to the hotel.
Freshened up, and meet some members of our group and went to search for a back pack to replace
Off to the Vatican and Sistine Chapel
This huge line of people didn't make reservations I don't think. We walked on this side of the street, and got to the door, received our radios to hear the tour guide, waited for our group to be called and walked in. the Rick Steve’s Civita bag that I had purchased to use as a day bag, to hold travel documents, diabetic supplies, tour books, etc. The first day, at Pompei, the shoulder strap detached from the bottom seam, and holding it on the other strap, and carrying by the loop on top, I noticed the same was going to happen to both of those. Stow the Civita! We shopped, found a replacement backpack then began the search for food.
We found a quaint little restaurant with tables on the sidewalk, and a delightful host. Khan. Not Italian, but spoke very good English. Because we were sitting at a sidewalk table, we could be seen by other members of our group, and had 3 more join us.
We ate, then returned to the hotel to prepare for our last day in Rome.
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James Keating
non-member comment
Day 3
Pretty cool stuff. You have to have some pretty big cajones to be a pick-pocket in a church. I guess they are everywhere though. The mosaics are pretty crazy. You can't tell in the pictures that they aren't paintings.