Day Twelve - Jun 2, 2012

Rome, Italy

High Point: The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

Low Point: A really expensive tourist trap lunch

Miles By Foot: 12

Today's Antiquities: You have to go with the 4300 year old hieroglyphic right?

Today's Weather: Sunny and humid. In the high 80's. We still need better sunscreen.

Tonight's Lodging: The Beehive Hostel, Rome

Touristic Events: The Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica

Travel Tip: Walking from the Termini area to the Vatican takes a little over an hour, and there is a great Irish pub half way there

Daily Didactic

Alrighty, a big day. We rose "summer early" for us and decided to walk to the Vatican rather than catch the subway. This is rooted in both our joy of walking and our confusion about subways. It turned out to be a lovely hour plus walk (past the massing Republic Day parade crowd) to St. Peter's Square. We didn't eat before leaving or along the way, so we made the rookie mistake of getting some ridiculously overpriced bad to mediocre food right outside the square. Seems like there'd be some special "fleecing the tourist" consequence this close to the real thing. Simply said, we joined the midday Saturday throng through the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Cupola, and St. Peter's Basilica. It was all ridiculously beautiful and overwhelming. Good lord the Catholics had some financial resources during the Renaissance. We saw big deal after big deal, and came out the other side more than just a little impressed. On the walk home we were a little famished (because Brian's morning helping of a $10 plain chicken patty was not cutting it) and we took a chance on an Irish Pub in Rome. Man, we love the Irish. We got home early evening and called it a day.