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Our day started early today. We had an appointment with local guides at St. Peter's Basilica at 7:45. Our guide gave us the lowdown outside of the church because our visit was self guided. The guide gave us great context for what we were about to see and about the Vatican in general.
After our tour of the Basilica we were free for the rest of the day. Typically, this tour has included the Vatican Museum. We learned before our tour began that because of the overwhelming number of tourists and the rules from Vatican officials, it would no longer be part of the trip.
This stop on the trip was really important to me. I grew up Catholic so this was almost like a pilgrimage of sorts. I was in shock and awe of the splendor that is St. Peter's Basilica. This church is one of the most important churches for Catholics and you can feel the history, the solemness, and the holiness oozing out of every corner. There was so much to take in: carvings, paintings, mosaics, marble, and gold. This is another stop where the pictures hardly do it justice. I was able to light candles for my grandparents and hear part of a Mass which is more than I could've dreamed of.
After our tour wrapped up, Barbie offered me an extra ticket to see the Vatican Museum that she had purchased on her own. I wasn't able to score tickets before leaving home so I jumped at the chance. We had some time to kill in the hot Roman sun before our timed entry. Once I experienced the sheer mass of people waiting outside the museum and the timed entry system, I totally got why this experience wasn't included on the tour any longer. It was madness! We eventually made it inside to see the splendor and vastness that is the Vatican Museum. One thing the museum has mastered is the art of suspense.
There are signs and arrows everywhere pointing you in the direction of the Sistine Chapel but there is a lot to see before you're even close to there. The chapel itself is magnificent, but be advised it is a holy space so no pictures and no talking. Don't worry, if you forget either of those two things there are PLENTY of museum staff on hand to remind you. Given that I thought I was going to miss out on this experience, I was extra grateful that I got to tag along on Barbie and Kaysie's adventure. Thanks again, guys, you rock!
We capped our morning with a quick bite to eat at a local cafe before heading back to the hotel for a little break from the midday sun.
After a little midday siesta (wrong country, I know!) I met back up with Barbie, Kaysie, and Andie. We sat on the hotel terrace and tried to formulate a plan for the rest of our evening. We came to the conclusion that at this point of the tour we really wanted a burger. We did the very un-Roman thing and hopped in a taxi and headed for the Hard Rock Cafe.
Pro tip: it's totally okay to crave food from home especially on a longer trip like this one. Lean into it!
After dinner, we wandered around Rome and found ourselves at the Spanish Steps with Charlotte and Malia. The city of Rome does an amazing job lighting their monuments and piazzas. We lingered on the piazza enjoying being temporary Romans. Then we decided to grab some gelato and found a place nearby that seemed to fit the bill.
Pro-tip: skip the gelato place near the Spanish Steps. We later found out it's the most expensive gelato in Rome! It was good but not worth the price.
Post expensive gelato, we decided to make the walk home to our hotel. It was long, but again it was a treat to see Rome lit up for the night. I crashed when we got back to the hotel, which was a good thing because tomorrow was a travel day!
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