Day 6 - Second Day in Rome

‍‍‍We headed for St. Peter's Basilica at 8:30 am.  Our "skip the line" tickets, along with the early hour meant that the crowds were not too bad.  The Pieta was still impressive even though behind glass. 

Ricardo pointed out an optical illusion where the distance from the front of the Basilica to the altar looks farther away when you are at the rear of the Basilica looking toward the the altar than the distance from the altar looking toward the entrance to the Basilica.  I didn't have the heart to tell him the distances looked roughly the same.

After the tour of the Basilica, we had some free time.  I ended up purchasing two necklaces.  Then we went out to take a few pictures. The crowdshad gottenlarger. While we stood taking. pictures, several people tried to sell up" skip the line" tickets.  I wished I had a sign that said. "Already been there and done that."

When were returned fromSt. Peter's we walked to a nearby restaurant and had pizza  and then walked to the Divinci Museum.  It was an enjoyable hands on museum.   On the way back to the hotel we stopped for gelato and then looked into the church next to the hotel.  Then we got ready for a private after hours tour of the Sistine Chapel Museum.  I had not realized that a museum was also housed in the building of the Sistene Chapel. The Museum includes tapestries, paintings, articles from popes and some archaeological artefacts.  We also saw some of the rooms painted by Rafael.  Ricardo described the rivalry between Rafael and Michael Angelo as well as Michael Angelo's fustration with being "commanded" by the Pope to paint the story of Creation on the Sistene Chapel ceiling.  The ceiling was more impressive than I imagined.  When I think of the ceiling I always think of the fresco of the Creation of Man.  I didn't realize how many other frescos make up the ceiling.  I also learned that the fresco of the Last Judgement was painted later and Michael Angelo completed it, a lesser known painter was brought in to cover the naked parts below the waist of the men.

When we finished the tour, we had a surprise light dinner in the courtyard with prosecco and wine. What a special treat.  Then it was back to the hotel to pack to leave tomorrow for Umbria.Read more