St. Peter’s Basilica

Where do I even begin? Rome I suppose. She was coming! Krista. The girl who got me through all of my ups and downs, highs and lows in Japan stationed onboard our warship in the United States Navy. Along with a few trustworthy ladies (Jess & Kelly) she was my confidant, my room mate when we were out at sea and trust me, we were always out at sea.

Someone who would listen to my whoa’s and one of the very few people in my circle of trust that I could cry freely in front of (not that I’m admitting that I cry). She held my hair back when I would get violently sea sick and curl up on our rug in our stateroom vomiting 14 times in one day (not an exaggeration, sea sickness is the worst!) and she and I just jived together. Our 2 mottos were “Long Hair Don’t Care” and “We’re doing it Live”, that’s how we approached every situation especially our upcoming trip to Rome.

A tour of the Vatican you ask? Why yes please!

Here’s a few things that I learned on my weekend trip to Rome.

1st and foremost, BOOK AHEAD for the VATICAN TOUR, and here’s why..

Courtyard at the Vatican

THE VATICAN

The Vatican is a pretty big structure right? It would take some time to walk around the entire walls in the Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica and all that jazz. Well, when we arrived in the morning to meet for our tour, at around 0845, the line was already down one side of the wall and wrapped around the back end. By noon forget it, easily a 4 hour wait to get in.

By booking ahead of time you can for-go all that hassle and if you only have limited time in Rome, then I suggest you think about it. If you stand in that line and wait to get in it will cost 16 euros. If you sign up for a tour ahead of time you pay 50 euros but you are in a group of 12 people or less, you get head phones that your tour guide talks to you on so you don’t always have to stand around him, and you get to walk right in as soon as you arrive at the predesignated meeting time.

If you hadn’t thought it through and decided that you would wait in line but then change your mind at the last minute since there are multiple people there asking if you would join a Vatican Tour be aware. I would book the tickets online. It will be higher priced if you are waiting in the line, and you don’t want to get duped.

I’m not here to give you a play by play of the tour and I don’t plan to do that, but here’s a few pictures from inside the museum and on the grounds around the Vatican.

In the Museum walking through past civilizations

So Asian, Love it!

Tour Group, a Big Un, but they were so quiet listening to their guide, I miss Asia!

The All Seeing Eye, what else could it be?

You know Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, well there’s the goblet… Just Joking.

Oh Leo, surrounded by angels

Look up! Look up I say!

A map, It’s a map we’re looking at

In Yo Face

Artifacts

Stained Glass, My Moms Favorite

It’s definitely worth your time for a day trip.

SISTINE CHAPEL

I was sorely disappointed with the Sistine Chapel because of the rude and horrible tourists. First and foremost it is always jam packed with people which is to be expected, its a huge historical area with some of the best art work from the 1400’s.

There’s only 2 rules. Shut the F up and don’t take pictures. How hard is it to walk through a room with your big trap shut? The entire time people were talking, causing ruckus’s, some people weren’t even trying to whisper, talk about super rude and super ew. Who do you think you are?

The guards had to constantly and continuously guard the room yelling a people for taking out their iPhones and trying to take a picture and every few seconds another guard was standing there saying SILENCE in a loud voice negating the whole idea that there should be total silence in the room. All of these things were happening and I couldn’t move past it. It ruined my whole experience.

As you can see, I have no photos because I know how to follow simple rules, to all the other assholes that were in the Sistine Chapel on the 8th of November at around 1125, thank-you for your horrible attitude and complete disregard for history and simple principles.

ST. PETERs THE BASILICA

The Pope’s Balcony, Vatican City

If you are with a tour group when you leave the Sistine Chapel then you walk right down a set of stairs, through a small passage and into the outside area of St. Peter’s Basilica. If you are not with a tour group you should just say you are and you aren’t sure where your group is and they will let you pass, otherwise you will go through another exit and have to walk all the way around to the courtyard which will take almost 20 minutes to do.

Once outside we exchanged headphones and minutes later we walking through the Basilica. DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN WALK TO THE TOP OF ST. PETERS THE BASILICA DOME? It is possible to take the elevator and save yourself 320 of those steps but if you walk the whole way up it’s 551 steps in total! Wowsers.

Inside the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica

Does the pope sit in this chair? Nope

Such intricate details!

Dynamic Soarer’s idea of a good picture 😉

Statue inside the Basilica

And wouldn’t you know it, it was wedding day! Wonder how much it costs and how long in advance you must book the wedding?! Anyone have any ideas?

The lovely bride

Couldn’t get enough of the awesome hats!

Afterwards we walked around Vatican City and low and behold there was a Vatican City Post Office where you can buy and mail postcards to pen pals, friends, whomever’s address you have on hand. That instantly became the next stop of the day.

1 postcard for my pen pal Callie and 1 post card for the Swiss boy I met in Greece in October

We meandered around a couple more minutes before blowing a goodbye kiss to the Vatican and heading down the road because we were 2 starving explorers. I had also heard about a castle that you can walk to the top of and see all of Rome. More about that next time!

Vatican Guard

Wow, such history

Any other tips and tricks for Vatican City that you would like to add? Feel free to comment below.