Day 29 - Rome

We had a huge day planned for today, so we started early.

First stop was the Vatican.  We jumped on an early train, with what seemed to be everyone in rome, and headed out.



We had purchased jump the line tickets so we got to walk past everyone in the line and went through security.  We grabbed our audio guide and started checking out the museum. 

There were heaps of statues in the museum of everything you could imagine.  There was also a room full of tapestries, even one that looked like Jesus' eyes were following you round the room.  I found the mosaics to be wonderful.  not only the ones on the floor, but this table with ducks on it was awesome.























We followed the arrows around the museum, checking out all of the different art works and old stuff, before being lead into the Sistine chapel. 

At first it was very breathtaking with all the paintings all over the walls and ceiling.  But when I went to look for the infamous painting, I really had to look for it.  Call me ignorant, but I thought the infamous painting of god with the outstretched hand took up a large section if not the entire ceiling.  But it was only one section of a ceiling segmented into many different parts all telling the creation story.  Impressive, but not what I imagined.

We then went out to St Peter's square to check it out, after stopping for a crepe of course.

The square was huge and there was a massive line stretching out over half the way around it.  When you followed the line around, we realised that it was the line to get into the basilica and the pope was conducting mass.  We got to see the pope on the big screen!

We hung out in the square for a bit, before making our way to the Coloseum to be ready for our tour at 3pm.

Getting there a bit early, we decided to have lunch with a view at a cafe overlooking the Coloseum.

 We met up with out tour group and we became one of those silly people following a lady around with a stick held in the air wearing earpieces.

She took us all into the coloseum first and it was massive.  She explained about how, after being abandoned, much of the structure was pillaged of its marble and lead over the years.  Also how there was a massive earth quake that resulted in much of it falling down.  Some reconstruction work has been done to keep whats left standing, but otherwise its as it was left all those years ago, and gee its impressive!

  It was great to have a guide who truely loved what she was telling us about.  She was a local Roman, born in Rome with a massive love for her city.  We were able to learn so much, simply from her enthusiasm.

As we were walking and checking everything out, a pigeon flew up from below us, inside the Coloseum, and landed on top of a ruin above our heads.  As it did, it knocked down a stone that fell down and landed on my head.  It really hurt!.

After the coloseum, we were off to the Roman Forum.  It was here that we got to see the place where Ceaser was cremated.  People still leave flowers there today, that is how much he is still loved.  We also got to see many different ruins of things like basilicas and living quarters.  It was really cool to see.

 We then were off up Palentine hill.  Once at the top, we were able to see the ruins of the old palace, and a wonderful view back to the Coloseum. 

It was here that the tour guide left us.  On the way out, we got to see the ruins of an aquaduct.

We went to catch the tram back and hopped the wrong one. So we ended up further out of town.  We did get to see the Circus Maximus.  This is the place where Ceaser was stabbed to death by the senitors of the day.

We found the right tram and headed back to the hotel, before heading out for dinner.  It's still nice not to have to cook..