Rome

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Day 2 Started pretty early, I got up at 730 and was at the Vatican by quarter to nine to meet a tour for the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel. Although everyone told to be there by 9, people were still straggling in at quarter 10. So finally at ten we were off and ready to start the tour. I am really glad that I did a tour because frankly looking at that line to get into the Vatican it would of taken hours. Also we had a guide to tell us what everything is and was and what to look for. Just a little side note, there are a lot of French and American’s in Italy, Usually Aussies dominate but I have not met many Aus, actually none at all in Italy. Anyway the Majority of the tour was French and American.
The things I found great about the museum was the room Raphael painted for the Pope Julian, it was extraordinary. The detail and the little random people he would put in the paintings as well was fantastic. They liked to put their faces in some of the people as well. Also the Popes who usually commissioned the paintings no matter what the painting it was, was usually painted in as well. Usually for people to see how great they were and to show the people the power they had. It was all very interesting to see how the power plays went back then. We slowly went through all the museums and finally got to see the Sistine Chapel. It was different to how I imagined it, A lot of people were crowded into a little space and although people weren’t allowed to take photos a lot of people were. I didn’t want to chance it and have them take my camera off me. The roof is divided into I think seven paintings of different scenes as well as the behind the alter, which was painted by Michelangelo. The wall behind the alter was my favourite painting of them all. The type of painting is called fresco and basically you get one go at getting the painting right, otherwise you would have to cheap away all the plaster and start again. The Sistine Chapel was the last stop on the tour. After we had given our headsets back I headed to St Peter’s Basilica. This was extraordinary. It was massive, the sculptures and the mosaics and all the little tiny chapels was unbelievable. One little part even had a past pope in a glass coffin and he was covered in gold. Anyway after the Basilica, I wandered around St Peter’s square for a while before heading on to the Spanish Steps.
The Spanish Steps was crowded, not just with tourists but with little men trying to sell you all sorts of things, from flowers, to whistles to cans of beer. I climbed up them to the church above only to be shooed away saying we can’t go in. I did see a proposal; the guy bought a rose off one of the little men and then turned around the got down on one knee, luckily the girl said yes.
Later that night I went out to the Trevi Fountain, which a group of people from the hostel. Along with the Colosseum the Trevi Fountain is a favourite. Very Very Very Crowded, you have to sneak into position to get a photo otherwise someone else will grab the spot. We ate our dinner there and just relaxed and listened to the water falling, was very relaxing. We walked to the Spanish steps afterwards again very crowded but there were people there with guitars playing, was like a little concert. After a little bit we went home and that was the end of day 2 in rome.

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