Day 36: Vatican. Vatican. Vatican.

Guess what we did Tuesday?? Yep. You guessed it -- The Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome (actually, Vatican City if you want to get technical). I was so excited about this field trip because when I went the summer after I graduated high school, I remember it amazing me. And now that I know more about the history of the building, the popes, the artists and the art.... this time my visit would mean more and be even more phenomenal.

We all (amazingly) left the Palace at 6:45 and made it to Albano in time to catch the 7:20 train. My coffee didn't do the trick for waking me up, so I promptly put on my slower playlist and fell asleep on the 50 minute train ride.

We arrived at Termini and we were all sleepy -- not a good sign when you're about to spend 3 hours in a museum! So we grabbed a cappuccino before getting on the Metro that took us to St. Peter's.

I expected a long wait to get into The Vatican (even though we were there by 9:00), and while we did have to wait, it wasn't too bad. We only had to stand in line outside for maybe an hour -- definitely could have been worse! Once we got in we met up with Susanna -- she's our tour guide for the day! So nice to have a tour guide we know (she is one of our professors and is a whiz at art history). Just like at St. Frances', we had those fancy ear bud pieces so we could hear Susanna good (she had a microphone headset she was talking into). The crowds were CRAZYYYYYYY. Like I'm talking body to body to body... etc. So it was good we had our ear pieces to hear everything she was talking about.

Like estimated, the tour took us about 3-4 hours to complete -- and there was still definitely more to have been seen. I can't believe one building can hold so much history and such amazing works of art -- and that we got to see it (and learn about it) all!! I am so thankful for this opportunity. Here are some pictures that I took throughout our tour - I hope I can remember what everything is and I also hope that the pictures can do it a little bit of justice. But it is for sure a place everyone needs to go and see first hand -- its remarkable!

{Outside The Vatican, waiting in line... and waiting...}

{The famous dome of St. Peter's Basilica}

{One of the courtyards inside The Vatican museum}

{A giant, bronze pinecone! I loved it haha}

{Susanna looking very professional with her headset. I wish y'all could hear this woman talk -- she has the most beautiful, peaceful voice. I want her to be the guide on my GPS system. We all were so sad when she stopped talking into our ears at the end of the tour because it was so relaxing and easy to listen to. At one point during the tour we got too close to another group and we started picking up their guide's microphone channel and so we could hear her through our headset and she had to most harsh voice -- we felt so sorry for them... they were probably wishing they had a Susanna!}

{A room full of marble statues}

{Statue... I really wish I could remember what this one was. They all start to run together at some point... Possibly Apollo?}

{Whenever you see a god laying down like this and they are used as a fountain, it most likely is supposed to represent a river}

{A cow head. Not sure why I took this picture...}

{This was in the animal room -- every marble statue was of an animal. Even the floor was all mosaic animals!}

{This sculpture is the finished product}

{Beautiful dome ceiling}

{Bronze statue}

{Mosaic floors}

{Dome ceiling again...}

{Little kids making wine}

{Sphinx}

{A big, marble toe! If the toe was this big... just think how big the whole sculpture was!}

{Look at this little kid statue!}

{Entering the tapestry hallway}

{I loved the ceiling in the tapestry hallway!!! Look at all of the pastels...}

{I LOVE THIS!!!}

{Tapestryyyyy}

{The ceiling in the map hallway}

{A huge map painting}

{Another beautiful ceiling}

{Painting. Artist unknown (or it's known and I don't remember)}

{Shrine to The Virgin Mary}

{All the colors of the ceiling were so bright and so vivid!}

{I found a Swiss Guard in the painting!}

{Huge, painted ceiling}

{Look at the crowds!!}

{The Raphael Room. Raphael painted everything! P.S. he was painting this room while Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel}

{Painting by Raphael}

{Everyone was headed to the Cappella Sistina}

{Anddddd finally the Sistine Chapel!! Here is the infamous ceiling. It is the story of Genesis in the Bible. It starts with the creation of day and night, moving on to the creation of man, moving on to the original sin of man, ending at the story of Noah. Everything in this room had a Biblical undertone--it was so cool!}

{The famous creation of man painting!}

{Michelangelo's Last Judgement painting on the entry wall}

{How did Michelangelo all by himself -- and it only took him 4 years!}

{Absolutely breathtaking}

{The Last Judgement}

{Even the curtains painted on the walls were so realistic!}

{Creation of Man}

{Can you see how many people there were?!}

{Another picture of the ceiling...}

{Close-up of the ceiling!}

{I love Susanna!}

{The Colonnade outside St. Peter's Basilica}

{The doors leading into St. Peter's Basilica}

{Saint Peter - he is always represented with keys in his hand}

{Saint Peter's Basilica!}

{The crest of the Barberini family}

{Pretty stain glass window of a dove in the rays of heaven}

{Statue of Alexander the 7th -- the Chigi Pope! The Statue was done by Bernini -- major Roman Baroque artist}

At the end of the tour we were all pretty much wiped out so we made one last stop in Rome before getting on the 4:20 train back to Albano. Our night consisted of getting our life in order -- homework, packing, laundry, boring stuff.... but it was nice to relax at the Palace! Hope this inspired everyone to trek over to Rome and see The Vatican for yourself -- it is definitely worth the trip and worth the wait :) Ciao everyone!!

P.S. -- If you noticed, I didn't take any people pictures this day. Sorry -- I wasn't feeling it. I promise to make up for it on midterm break in Barcelona and Dublin!