Everyone told us we’d need more than one day in Rome to see all we want to see, but we proved them wrong–even on a beautiful Friday in May!
We started with a trip back into ancient times, with the Colosseum and incredible city of ruins.
The Colosseum
The Colosseum
The Colosseum
I thought I only could experience ancient, ruined cities like this in video games 😮
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This building is incredible…
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The Pantheon
Trevi Fountain
Next we headed over to the Vatican City. It was crazy how it was an entire little “city” walled off from the rest of Rome.
Vatican City
The Vatican Museum …Now I can see how the Pitti Palace in Florence (post-Medici takeover) was an attempt to mimic the classical Roman styles with lavish Baroque-style and manneristic architurecture/decorations.
The Vatican Museum
The Vatican Museum — The Sistine Chapel — Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam and Eve” and “The Last Judgment”
It took a very long time to actually exit the Vatican Museum…We kept getting led through more and more halls, until we got to this staircase and decided that we are probably being sent to hell……especially after Heather yelled “Jesus!” in response to strong sunlight, but right in the face of the nun she wasn’t expecting to see upon turning away from the sun glare. (Instant sun glare to nun glare).
St. Peter’s Basilica
St. Peter’s Basilica
St. Peter’s Basilica
St. Peter’s Basilica
St. Peter’s Basilica — “It’s like God himself is radiating through the dome!” -random man
St. Peter’s Basilica
St. Peter’s Basilica
St. Peter’s Basilica — Michelangelo’s “Pieta”
St. Peter’s Basilica…Definitely one of my favorite sites I’ve seen in Europe.
After the Vatican, we STILL had more time to explore Rome! We ventured along the river, met with a friend of Heather’s for dinner (Rome has awesome pizza), roamed around Rome more, and then headed back to the train station for Florence–all before it got dark.
Looking at these pictures, it still feels surreal that I was actually there. It’s so weird to learn about and know of these sites in such a distant way since elementary school, and then to actually be there. I’m so glad I got to experience it!
Lizzie in Firenze 