A sunny day in Rome

This morning, we were off to see the Vatican. We did not bood a tour, so we did not get to go inside - the ticket line was way too long. We knew it would be this way beforehand, but we wanted to check it out. It was about a 25 minute walk. We walked through the Piazza Campo de Fiori, where we were last night, and there was an open air market with just about anything - fresh fruits, vegetables, pasta, seasonings, luggage and souvenirs. Our hotel seems to be about a half-hour walk to just about everywhere we want to see.

The Vatican was packed, but you could walk up fairly close. The ticket line was very long and there were a lot of folks. The Vatican is a country of its own and became independent of Italy in 1929. Ruled by the Pope, it is the smallest country and the smallest population in the world. Vatican City contains religious and cultural sites such as St Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and a few museums. The Italian name of the city is Citta del Vaticano.

The obelisk in St Peter's Square was brought here from Egypt in AD64 and relocated to its present location in 1586. The obelisk is the last visible remnant from the Circus of Nero, where it is said that Saint Peter was crucified.Read more