Skipping Christmas Day 12

First full day in Rome! We slept in and had a nice little breakfast in our room. The breakfasts were a little hard to adjust to. We went from very large protein heavy meals on the boat to much lighter, sugarier affairs in Rome. Even with a ton of pastries I bet our Rome breakfasts had less calories...

Today was Sunday which is a tricky day in Europe. Lots of things are closed so you need to plan ahead a bit. We decided to go to the Vatican museum. It just so happened that it was the one day a month that the museum is free and since lots of other things are closed it seemed like a good idea. We were expecting a ton of people but the truth was much more sobering. We arrived in line a few minutes before the museum even opened. Here are some pictures of the line.

Had we known it was going to take us 2 HOURS to get in we would have done something different. Or at least arrived earlier. Even though it was the longest and largest line I have ever stood in it was nice to save the 40 Euros on admission (normally it is about 20 Euros each!). However, at the time it was really not a fun experience. Do not go on the free Sunday!!!

Once we were in it was not as crowded as you would expect. It was still busy but pretty manageable. We started with the sculpture hall.

This is the famous Laocoön statue. It was in an outdoor courtyard! It was covered but you would expect more protection for such an old and famous sculpture. Click here for more info on the statue if you like.

Eric really likes mosaic floors so I take a lot of pictures for him. This one was special because it has mushrooms and a truffle finding pig.

Every room had amazing ceilings like this one.

More amazing things! The School of Athens by Raphael! It is on a large wall right before you go into the Sistine Chapel. Info here.

No pictures were allowed in the Sistine Chapel. It was reminiscent of being back in line though with how many people were jam packed in. The chapel did live up to the hype and was exceptional to look at in person.

Eric found some cool maps.

Famous staircase by a famous architect or something. This was the first I had learned about it but Eric was aware of it. Info here.

No tourist trip is complete without a trip to the gift shop! I purchased this puzzle of the School of Athens! Doing a puzzle in Germany is a real luxury, it is one of the few good things about leaving the kitties back home. (That and a reprieve from constant cat hair on your clothes). I don't have to worry about someone taking a nap on it!

After several hours at the museum (and in line!) we were HUNGRY. We did not have lunch (no time!) so we were very ready for an early dinner. We found an Italian restaurant! The restaurant diversity in Rome is not vast- 90% of the restaurants I saw were pizza and pasta places. Not that I am complaining- I am always down for some pasta! (Or in this case, pizza.)

Feeling much refreshed we set off for the Pantheon. This is another thing that is free!

After the Pantheon we wandered by a nice fountain. Fountains are EVERYWHERE in Rome. And they are always busy.

After the fountain we popped into this gelato place. Gelato stands in Rome are almost as frequent at pizza places, we got lucky and picked one that was AMAZING!! 

So amazing that I bought a second one!!! That is not a peace sign- but round 2! All their flavors are made in the shop and don't use preservatives. I got an 80% cocoa that was really rich and delicious.

This is the place name on their napkin. I want to tell everyone I know to go! Eric said it was the best gelato he had ever had, I maintain that it is just as good as our gelato place in Corvallis.

Shortcut through the Vatican on our way back to the B&B. We took this shortcut about 10 times and every time Eric brought up how we were detouring through a foreign country...