Day 3: The Vatican

We retired to the hotel, The Golden Tulip, for the night and awoke for the complementary breakfast of pastry, assorted cheeses, cereal, juices, breads, fruit, etc. I proceeded to spill my food all over me (after having not slept for nearly 72 hours, I was a little jittery), and there went one of our Sky Team shirts. With only one left and not knowing if and when our luggage would arrive, I tried to be as careful as I could. The Griesemers had arranged for a tour of the Vatican, Collesseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and Pantheon. A small tour bus pulled up and we all hopped in (including Liz, Seth, Meagan, Joshua, Jessica, Steve, Chris, Andrea, Mandy, Brandon, Tabitha, and our family). We started at the Vatican with a very grumpy Griffin who reflected on the Church History tour of two years ago and had flashbacks of all the "church movies" and places he had to sit through. We tried to offer solace in that at least it was a different church this time. He didn't buy it.

Here are some pictures taken in the tour bus on our way to (and maybe from) the Vatican.

I have some pictures, but there is absolutely no way to convey the magnificence of St. Peter's Basilica. Since my eyes and brain could hardly comprehend it, no little camera of mine can capture it. No pictures were to be taken of the Sistine Chapel, but anything I would have taken wouldn't have come out very well. Besides, since having my cervical fusion, I'm not supposed to look up or down until my next check up in August. Looking at the ceiling was a challenge!

From here, we went to lunch (where I have no pictures), and then to the Colosseum.