After three exams on Thursday I rushed to the airport to make my flight. I touched down in Rome pretty late and took a taxi to the hotel. My mom and dad were waiting for me in the lobby. They took me to dinner and we ate some amazing pizza.

The next morning we woke up insanely early. We headed to The Vatican city. The city wasn't even open when we arrived so we had to stand in the rain for a bit while we waited for our tour to start. I found a coffee shop and the cappuccino made the wait worth it. Our guide started the tour by explaining the important figures in the sistine chapel since guides are not allowed to talk in the chapel. We were just about the first ones in to the Vatican museum. We got the chance to explore the private art collections of former popes and explore the Vatican grounds a bit. After a few hours exploring the Vatican we finally reached the pinnacle of the tour. We entered the Sistine Chapel and I was speechless. Starring at the ceiling I felt overwhelmed and I could feel tears in my eyes. After minutes of awe a man came to the front of the chapel and began a prayer service. It was amazing to experience such a stunning building. After studying the paintings for Michelangelo for years in art history courses I can honestly say that pictures do not do his work justice. The next stop on our tour was St. Peter's Basilica. The church was absolutely gorgeous. I could have spent hours exploring the massive basilica. Our time was cut short because we had to rush to our next tour. My mom had scored us tickets to the Scavi tour. This tour explores the lowest layer of the Vatican city. About 2000 years ago the layer was a cemetery. The significance of the cemetery is that it is the location that Saint Peter was buried. The old and new basilicas were both built on the same spot so that the alter is directly above Saint Peters' grave. This had created the various layers to the city that have only been discovered by archeologists. We explored ancient tombs and at the very end we got the chance to see Saint Peters' bones. I am skeptical that they were actually his bones but thats just my thoughts. After the tour ended we walked through St. Peter's square. We found an Italian restaurant a few blocks away and enjoyed lunch there. After lunch we walked back to our hotel and took a nap. That evening we explored the city. I even found the Trevi fountain and made a wish. I had some of the best gnocchi I have ever eaten for dinner and gelato for dessert. It was the perfect way to end an amazing day.

The next day we had another early morning. I ate a quick breakfast at the hotel and then we headed to the center of Rome. We arrived at the colosseum before our tour began so we had the opportunity to admire the exterior of the structure. The tour took us through the colosseum and explained the dynamic history of the building. After far too many flights of stairs in the colosseum we left to visit the palatine hill. The palatine is the ruins of the ancient palace. The hill overlooks the roman forum. After a long afternoon in the sun we enjoyed some amazing pasta at a nearby restaurant. We fit a quick nap in during the after. That evening we explored more of Rome. We visited the Spanish Steps and a few churches. Our next stop was dinner where I had some amazing pesto gnocchi and gelato for desert.

The next morning my mom and I woke up early to attend mass in english at one of churches in Rome. It was interesting to experience the differences between the mass where Catholicism originated and the mass I am used to in the United States. After mass we ate a huge breakfast. We changed and took a taxi to the Vatican City. After a few security checks we were in Saint Peters' square. A few minutes afternoon the pope appeared from him window to give his blessing. The entire thing was in Latin so I have no idea what he said but it was such a cool experience. We left the Vatican with a flood of other people. We met back at the hotel. I packed up my stuff and all the goodies my parents had brought me. I had one final lunch of delicious pasta and then had to say farewell to my parents and yo my favorite country.