The Vatican

We spent our Saturday morning in Rome at the Vatican and St Peters. Once again, I want to suggest that buying your tickets online before your trip is the way to go. Otherwise you could be standing in a very long line.

The Vatican is a very large museum with artifacts collected from all around the globe. The Sistine Chapel is dangled in front of you as the prize at the end of the museum tour. Pace yourself as it is a lot of walking but the exhibits are well worth it. One of my favorites is the map room with maps of different areas around the Mediterranean as it existed years ago. As you walk through the exhibits you finish with the apartments of the popes and then end up in the Sistine Chapel. The time to tour the Vatican is up to you. You can spend a few hours or a full day.

After the Vatican we then went to St Peters. From the Sistine Chapel there is a way you can go directly to St Peters but we choose to walk around the block and go in that way. You don't need a ticket and there is a long line but the line moves rather quickly. One word of advice is since it is a religious site there is a dress code and women are not allowed to enter with bare shoulders. You may think you are ok but they won't let you in with bare shoulders. If you are all ready there buy a cheap scarf from a vendor and wrap it around your shoulders.

For me, I like St Peters with all it's artwork over the Vatican but it is just my preference.

Swiss Guard