Spartacus sleeping, the Vatican and oh what a night.

We mentioned yesterday how we were getting tired. Well today wasn't a day to be tired.  We were up early for our visit to the Vatican, a Nation within Rome which was granted by Mussolini when this dictator was in power in Italy before World War II.

Anyway, because of our trip with Trafalgar, we were able to go in early ahead of the crowds of people as tours were allowed to enter at 8:00 am where the general public were not allowed until 9:00. We were taken into the Vatican Museum where artifacts were on display from the time before Christ, over 2000 years ago.

Next we were taken to the spiral ramp up to the top of a tower. This ramp was built so a pope could ride a donkey up to the top and was a perfect spiral up. Trafalgar is one of only a very few tour groups allowed to climb up this tower. It is not open to the public,

The views from up top were spectacular.

 



Look at the ceiling of the Museum,

Next was a visit to the Sistine Chapel. The Chapel is only used by the pope for Christenings of children of the families who work and live at the Vatican and during one other time of the year. This is also where the cardinals of the Catholic Church throughout the world, come to select a new pope then the previous pope has either resigned or died.  This Chapel is where Michelangelo painted the ceiling of this Chapel and let me tell you it is better to see it in real life than look at pictures on the internet. The paintings look three dimensional as if they were extending out of the ceiling,  We were not allowed to take pictures or talk while in the chapel.

Next we visited St Peter's Basilica, the main Basilica at the Vatican, It is the largest place of worship that I have ever been in.

We saw the tomb of Pope John Paul II, one of many popes who are buried here at St Peter's Basilica.

This Basilica was so large with so many things to see it is hard to describe.

Next we went out to St Peter's Square in the Vatican.

The middle picture above is St Peter's Basilica from the outside.  We were shown where the Sistine Chapel is from the outside. It is the building with the triangle roof.

And the Pope's residence which is the second window from the right in the top of this building,  No we did not actually see the Pope.

If that wasn't enough, our next stop was at the ruins of ancient Rome and the Coliseum. This is where slaves and Gladiators where kept to fight to the death. The original surface was a wooden floor over these rooms and hallways that you see in this picture. Gladiators were kept here with wild animals like tigers and lions and they came up to the surface and wooden floor to fight to the death. The floor was covered with sand to absorb blood.

On our way in to the Coliseum, we came across Spartacus, a famous Gladiator (actor) who looked like he was sleeping, Actually he was checking his cell phone.  I didn't realize they had cell phones back then!!

So we went back to our hotel late in the afternoon and Barb and I were exhausted from the heat and the early mornings. We had a nap and shower then it was up and off again to dinner.  I know that I felt like skipping this one, but I'm so glad we didn't.  We went to a fancy restaurant in a very nice hotel. We had a private dining room with a piano player who had a fantastic voice. It was a romantic evening.

 We would recommend to all of our friends, that you take a Trafalgar Tour, maybe not one that is so long, but pick a country or two and give this a try. You get to see unexpected places and sites that you would have never found on your own, and they surprise us at times, like tonight. We left the restaurant where we had dinner and our tour guide and driver took us back to Vatican City to see St Peter's Basilica at night all lit up, Very special.

So the two of us tired travellers arrive back at our hotel at 8:45. Great, an early night so 10 of us head to the hotel bar for a night cap.  So much for an early night, but we are enjoying the company of our companions. Tomorrow we leave for Florence, Italy.  I think we will be sleeping on the bus!!