Trips, Pics, and Tales

We wandered a bit right around the Vatican and initially we wanted to stop at Pizzarium, as recommended on Katie Parla’s food app, but we never made it there. We were hungry and didn’t feel like trying to find it. Instead we made the mistake of walking into one of the first places we walked by, right near the Vatican.  This is probably the number one tourist mistake - eating right by a main attraction! We knew it going in, but what can you do - it was a toss up...eat and pay for it now, or wander farther and farther on cranky, hungry stomachs?  While the food was fine, and the service was also nice, the prices were extremely high! It was basically a self serve cafeteria type place with waiters walking around to see if you “needed anything else”. But for the 5 of us Panini type sandwiches and water or Coke Light’s were close to 90 Euro! Oh, we may have gotten some fruit on the side and fries I think too! But we did get to sit and relax for a bit – there’s the bright side. ...

After making our way through the crowds in the Vatican Museums, next we went to St Peter’s Basilica. Again, it was very crowded. But we did make it through! The crowds made it difficult for me to “feel” the peace here though. It wasn’t like when we went to the Duomo in Florence when it felt solemn. Or even in St Mark’s in Venice or the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. In my mind it’s supposed to be the church of all churches, but it’s treated the least church like really. Here it was loud and like a spectacle. But it was beautiful and it was large!  The real star though was the Pieta. Again, Michelangelo shines! There is no question of the gift he had. Of course, if you could even get close, it’s now behind glass. But you can’t help but being drawn to this work.  Juvita took us through parts of the Basilica. However in many places our headsets weren’t working well and it was hard to hear her. After the Basilica, our tour was basic...