After yesterdays Coliseum went so wrong we weee due for a better day and the museum went like clockwork.

We had a little hiccup with breakfast/ lunch but otherwise the day got off to a good start. It is hard to coordinate with 7 and we have done more as a full group than I expected us to. Some wanted coffee then lunch others wanted breakfast. But in the end it all worked out and we met back at the apartment to head to the Vatican.

Our hotel was right down the street but we headed out early in case we went to the wrong location. Memories from my last time visiting the Vatican, where we were at the wrong door for our tour and seeing people hunting for their tour start place yesterday made me a little worried. As we got closer the line to get in was crazy long and my heart sank. However, the Vatican had employees out along the line directing people and they told me to keep walking. The people without tickets stand in a crazy line in one side those with tickets stand on the other. We arrived about 45 minutes before our entrance time and got right in the front of a short line to get in. They let our line start 30 minutes before our time and we showed our tickets in one line then went through security then up to the group tour line. We were even too early for that and we had to wait 10 minutes and try that again. At 1:15 we got our guide and headed in. So relieved it had gone smoothly.

Our guide was really good. She had her doctorate in art history and was very knowledgeable about the art and its significance. She was also really focused on the use of color and the way art had evolved through the centuries. She was Polish spent some time in Canada and the US even taught at Lubbock but was currently looking for a teaching job. She snuck us through small places and around crowds to see the highlights.

We saw the early Roman statutes the Belvedere Man and the Laocoon and His Sons. She explained that although they were copies of Greek statutes the originals had never been found and since they were bronze had most likely been melted down for weapons. She spoke quite a bit about how these early sculptures influence the renaissance artist like Michelangelo who was young when the Laocoon sculpture was found in a field and the story goes that he went and saw it being dug out.

From there we continued with the Roman art and saw and walked on some feet tiled floors from the first century a chariot sculpture the Constantine Sarcophagus made of red porphyry a very hard red stone. We also saw the Brussels Tapestries which are amazing. It is shocking how much detail they can get with thread. We of course spent a lot of time in the Raphael rooms. The School of Athens never disappoints and the other works are equally as striking. I also was surprised to see a dragon in one of the frescoes painted by Raphael students. We quickly went through the “modern” rooms where she pointed out the Gauguin and the Van Gogh.

She left us in the Raphael rooms for us to head down to the Sistine Chapel in our own. She did spend a lot of time explaining the painting but could not guide in the chapel. We walked quickly on to the chapel and enjoyed that for a little while. It is sad that you can no longer take pictures. I wish I had snuck one but I didn’t. The set up is quite different than I remember from my last visit but after the chapel you had to walk through rooms and rooms to get back to the exit and other main collections.

Most had been in the museum long enough and headed out to get some drinks and snacks. I wanted to we the Raphael oil paintings nd tapestries and Kelle wanted to see some of the Egyptian art so we stayed in the museum. After asking directions a few time we finally found our way back to those exhibits and wandered through quickly. The Raphael’s are amazing and I am glad we stayed to view them. They had a lot of great 13/14 century religious art but we had seen so much of that in Perugia we just walked right through. We did get to see copies of ok 3 of Michelangelo’s Pietas which was good not only to compare but because of our mistake of the day that I will discuss later.

The Egyptian room is crazy. They have statues from 2000 BC. They also have a couple of actual mummies on display. We stopped in the courtyard to take some photos with the Egyptian lines but I was running out of power on my phone so not a lot of pictures but will get them from Kelle and add them later.

From the museum we headed to Saint Peter’s to go in the church. I expected to be able to walk right in the museum but that was not the case. There was a huge line. It was about 1:30 wait. Of course there were people saying they could sell us tickets and we could go right in. We knew better and decided against it. We had seen the copy of Michelangelo’s Pieta so at least we saw that. I wanted to show that to them the church but had no idea we needed to get tickets. Live and learn. Seems everything needs tickets these days.

We stopped for a drink and I tried a supli which was delicious. I wish I had tried some others along the way. We headed back to the apartment to meet up for dinner.

We had a few more drinks. Margaret tried a martini but it wasn’t for her. Kelle and Jeff finished it. Most of decided to go back to the same place we had been get drinks everyday Zigs but Kelle and Jeff went off to find something else.

We had a few more drinks after returning to the apartment and by a few I mean bottles. Faye, Bob and I cleaned out the last red bottle so we didn’t have to carry it on to the next stop. We were happy to take care of that for everyone.

Rome had been busy. Easter is in fact a high tourist season for the city and all of Italy but we made it work. I actually will be sorry to move on but looking forward to being on the ocean.