We started a full on day of sight seeing with a visit to the Vatican and straight away were reminded of one of the main benefits of being part of a small tour group. We travelled by taxi virtually to the door of the Vatican museums and then bypassed the queue which was already several hundred metres long. The poor masses would have been worn out from the heat and hanging around before even getting inside.
The art and history on display was just magnificent, and the experience was added to greatly by having a local guide, Gabriella, to explain the background. When we last visited the Sistine chapel in 1985, the walls and ceilings were dirty from centuries of candle and oil lamp soot. They were painstakingly cleaned over 8 years finishing in 2000 and the difference is quite amazing. The colours are brilliant. A few patches of dirt have been deliberately left in unimportant places to emphasise the change.
Michelangelo who painted the ceiling and 'Last Judgement' on the back wall was a favourite of a succession of Popes who commissioned him to do the work. However, he had fallen out rather badly with the secretary of one Pope so painted him into the 'Last Judgement' as the gate keeper of hell - a pretty harsh and permanent insult!
St Peter's church was also quite amazing. It is apparently among the biggest churches in the world at 220m long and 46m high to the inside of the dome. It took 110 years to build and 50 years to decorate. That gives some perspective to NBC's building plans!
The Pope wasn't around today, but we saw where he lived. This is the view from his balcony (more or less.)
We spent the afternoon wandering around Trastevere, a more low key and less chaotic part of the city full of small alley ways and cafes. It is frequented by students which may give you some idea of the vibe.
Not having lost interest completely in public transport we have used both the metro and the city buses to get around.
When using them, the words 'hot' and 'dirty' immediately come to mind. There is also a tram and but so far we haven't tried it out.
We finished the day by dining at Al Moro's, a traditional trattoria just around the corner from the hotel. No tripe today although it was pleasing to have it as a menu option. The route back to the hotel went past the Trevi fountain so we stopped for while to watch the action. Here we are after throwing the two coins into the fountain according to the story. You throw the coin over your left shoulder with your right arm - the first coin ensures your return to Rome again in future, and for the second you get to make a wish.
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