Isn’t there a saying, which goes like “You cannot go to Rome and not see the Pope!”… Well, since they’ve changed the typical window opening that shows if the Holy Father is home for security reasons, I couldn’t tell if he personally was there that day or not, but we certainly didn’t miss the chance to explore the Vatican City! So in my book, that counts as a “check” in the Rome Must-Do-List!

As I shared in the previous post, I am a big fan of well-organized tour guidance! Again we chose GetYourGuide and again it was perfect! And again we had a tour guide with a degree in History and Art and it was so amazing and amusing to listen to her stories about the mysteries and secrets behind the Vatican walls!

And since we did not have to worry about tickets and waiting lines, we had enough time to enjoy some Italian Gelato and the afternoon April sun before our tour started.

The Tour began at the magnificent entrance dedicated to Michelangelo and Raphael and continued through the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Cathedral. All so enormous and overwhelming!

I’ve loved frescoes and ornaments on ceilings my whole life! Ever since I was a little girl I’ve been mesmerized by the colorful ceilings in every palace and cathedral I’ve entered! And the Vatican ceilings are undoubtedly some of the most breathtaking pieces of art a human hand has ever created! So there I could really embrace my love for Renaissance and romantic architecture and art! In the following photo diary I am sharing some impressions and views from our Vatican tour!

By sunset we took a slow walk towards the Castle of St. Angelo by the Tiber riverside. It was the perfect ending to the Vatican Day, because the two are connected by a secret tunnel used by the Popes of the Middle Ages as an escape in case of danger. Also, the way to the Castle is a straight street from St. Peter’s Cathedral. Walking down this street you should always remember to turn around every now and then to see how the dome of the Basilica seems to get bigger with every step you take further away from it! Breathtaking!