We left Italy today to go to the smallest country (and richest per capita) in the world, the Vatican! Needless to say, there is some pretty amazing stuff there! We didn't come close to seeing all of it; if you spend 15 seconds at each piece, it will take you 3 years to get through! We took another Presto tour. The highlights for me were the rare porphyry purple marble (only for emperors), Rafael's works especially his School of Athens, and, of course, the Sistine Chapel. We ended in the enormous St. Peter's Basilica. It is difficult to grasp it's immense size, and hard to believe that the letters surrounding the inside walls of the church are each 6 feet tall (and encased in real gold background). After the tour we climbed high up into the dome, and even at half its height the people below looked like ants!
Our day started with the Campo de Fiori - Rome's famous "flower" market. Fun to walk around and take pictures, but essentially another tourist trap.
Then we walked around some repeat sights - Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Spanish Steps. This time we climbed up the steps to the Pincio Gardens for its view over the Piazza de Popolo.
Dinner at nearby popular Pizzeria da Baffetto had horrible service but we shared a table with good company, and the tartufo dessert was heavenly!
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