Vatican City

We had some time to explore and grab some snacks or last minute dinner when we arrived at Vatican City. We started right from the square outside Saint Peter’s Basilica. The light was beautiful as we were there almost at dusk / sunset! 

Saint Peter’s Square is a large, open plaza in Vatican City, in front of Saint Peter’s Basilica. It was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the 1600s and is famous for its grand columns that form a circular shape. In the center, there is an ancient Egyptian obelisk and two large fountains. The square is an important place for Catholic events, including speeches by the Pope and large religious gatherings.

The Vatican has been a state since 1929. It’s 109 acres, or 1/8 the size of Central Park in NYC. To cross the Vatican from one end to the other it only takes about 20 minutes. The population is about 600 people plus the Pope. There are about 3,000 employees in the Vatican. 

The Pope is the religious leader of Catholics worldwide but also the political leader of no the Vatican. Mussolini was in power and allowed the Pope to make it his state. The Vatican does not have its own currency and uses Euros but does not belong to the European Union. 

Next up is our tour of the Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel!

Speed Tour of Rome

Since lunch took much longer than planned we had to hustle through our walking tour. Rome may not have been built in a day, but we toured it in just under an hour!

First stop, the Pantheon, a former Roman temple. 

Next stop, the Trevi Fountain. Legend has it if you throw a coin in the fountain you’ll come back to Rome. We had seven minutes here. And it was packed!!

Last stop was the Spanish Steps. This is where fashion shows are often held. We had 3 minutes to climb the steps and take our pictures!

And boom! The highlights of Rome in an hour! We booked it back to the bus to head in to Vatican City!

Lunch

After our tour of the Roman ruins, we headed back to the bus to transfer to lunch. When we disembarked at our new location, we would through the streets past a market and the Piazza Novana. 

The restaurant was pretty inside but the service was very slow. We ended up skipping dessert to get back to touring. 

The menu was bruschetta and lasagna. 

During lunch we recognized our tour guides Kaja and Vanya who have made our trip so amazing. Two representatives from each bus spoke about how much this trip has impacted them. It was very moving!

Lunch

After our tour of the Roman ruins, we headed back to the bus to transfer to lunch. When we disembarked at our new location, we would through the streets past a market and the Piazza Novana. 

The restaurant was pretty inside but the service was very slow. We ended up skipping dessert to get back to touring. 

The menu was bruschetta and lasagna. 

During lunch we recognized our tour guides Kaja and Vanya who have made our trip so amazing. Two representatives from each bus spoke about how much this trip has impacted them. It was very moving!