The Middle...and The End: Rome in Just Three Days!

May 28th: Yesterday Natalie and I went to Vatican City. We got up around 8 and ate breakfast; breakfast at Adele's is different than an American breakfast, but no less delicious! We had frittata, cheese, bread, jelly, juice, cappuccino and salad (like ACUTAL salad with tomatoes and mozzarella).

Then we caught a tram (super packed, we barely fit!) to the Vatican. I was nervous we'd be late, so we went early. We got to the Vatican at around 10:30 - our tour was not scheduled until 12:30! So we looked around the gift shop and waited, we also had some great conversation!

When the tour started the sheer amount of art was overwhelming! Pablo, our tour guide, started us out with an overview of the Sistine Chapel artwork, commenting on the history behind each piece. Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed in the chapel so I do not have any pictures to share. However, I have a lot of pictures from the next leg of our journey.

The next step was to go see all the original Greek and Roman statues which the Vatican has collected throughout the years:

After that came the tapestries:

And then the paintings...the paintings were exquisite! I particularly enjoyed the Raphael Rooms:

Then the crowning glory of the Vatican Museums - the Sistine Chapel. After that we shopped for a little while, getting some souvenirs for our families (which I can't show here because they follow this blog) ;) Finally we made our way into Saint Peter's Basilica:

While we were in the church Pope Francis entered to perform Mass, which was pretty cool! Then - my phone and camera unanimously died and I was left to finish out the day (sadly) picture and text free. :( Natalie and I had a lovely dinner at a roadside cafe (white wine and pasta for me - muy delicioso) and then we searched high and low for the Trevi Fountain which is supposed to ensure a return visit to travelers who throw in a coin. Unfortunately, the fountain is undergoing restoration, so we were not able to throw in a coin. I took this as a sign that we were FOR SURE coming back because we needed to have the opportunity to throw in a coin. 

Today - May 29th - was our last day in Rome. Natalie and I went on a whirlwind tour of all the places we missed the first two days, First we went to the Pantheon, a heathen temple converted into a memorial for the Christian Martyrs. 

Next we went to the Keats-Shelley House, a memorial dedicated to two of the most famous poets in British Romanticism. The room where John Keats died is preserved in the house as well as many first editions/manuscripts of his books and his personal letters. It was a moving experience for me to see the place where one of my favorite poets died, to walk where he walked and to read his thoughts about the Eternal City.

They had a drawing by John Keats of THE Grecian Urn...maybe I'm fan-girling but I was about to pass out.

 This is a picture of Natalie and me on the terrace of the Keats-Shelley House...

The Compete works of Percy Shelley

Painting of John Keats

This is me after I just saw all of that awesomeness...

After the Keats-Shelley House we went to lunch! Our friend Gaspare, the Italian man we met on the Metro, had recommended a pizza place and a gelato bar to us. They did not disappoint:

Then it was time to see some more sights. Natalie and I split up. She went to some art museums and churches while I went to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill - anyone who knows me well knows that Ancient Roman history is one of my all time favorite things...it was amazing to see!

Now all that remains is dinner and SLEEP!! I'll check in tomorrow from Verona! :) Goodnight, my friends!