Vatican

Today, we weren't actually in Rome, but rather spent the whole day in the Vatican.

The museums are very impressive and somewhat overwhelming due to the multitude of exhibits... I had specifically chosen 2 museums for us to look at, but not like this! You are guided by museum staff, arrows, and barriers like through IKEA. Only without a shortcut to the decoration department... 😁

In the end, the hordes of tourists are herded through the Sistine Chapel, where you can only stop in the middle, but at least you are allowed to stop and marvel. It’s very impressive to see many of the artworks that are known from films, television, or Latin books in person. And it’s not nearly as disillusioning as the Mona Lisa...

After going through about 6 souvenir shops, we were allowed to linger in the garden to relax and process all the impressions. The Pope's mandarin trees are full of fruits!

From the windows of the museums, there was a very nice view of Rome. And you could see that the Pope has a pool, a tennis court, and soccer and volleyball fields! However, he wasn't engaging in sports today, and he didn't hold the mass himself... No matter! Maybe this is all for the Swiss Guards, who were looking very neat!

After the first Roman gelato, we also visited St. Peter's Basilica. The dimensions are just incredible! Raphael didn't want to confess, and of course, I am pure in heart 😇🤣