I did not realize that tours had such early starts in the morning! I am NOT a morning person! Luckily with the jetlag I have changed my body to wake up early in the morning so I am hoping it will continue this early wake for the balance of my trip!
Boy did we have some fun at breakfast! The other tour in house thought that all our gluten free products that the hotel supplied for our tour, were really cool as they are single packaged items, so they were stuffing them in their pockets as they went down the buffet line.
Liz to the rescue! We moved the 5 large baskets off the buffet to a nearby table and supervised who had access to them – however this was the first morning of the tour and we did not know everyone’s face that was on our tour! So we had to ask people when they reached out for the goodies which tour they were on…
Very soon we were on the bus and off to the Vatican! Regardless of your faith, visiting this building is an awesome experience. Walking the halls of the Vatican and seeing history is also amazing! The massive artwork in the Sistine Chapel has left me speechless and in awe both times I have seen it and as certain people will attest, me being speechless does not happen very often! Unfortunately the Vatican is not very accessible due to it’s age and the “regular” tour has stairs to climb. Luckily I was at the Vatican last year with Andrew and a private guide so this year Mikael, Tour Director, let me go on my own (with permission from the guards) to get to the Sistine Chapel and then meet him later so we could walk around to St. Peter’s Basilica. Last year the path between the Vatican and St. Peters was not open, however it is now so the tour group would be taking it and it is NOT accessible either!
As it was 9am when we entered the Vatican, which is when tour groups enter as the public has to wait until 10am, everyone went downstairs and along the corridor to get to the Sistine Chapel. I, instead walked the upper corridor where no one was – I had it ALL TO MYSELF – sort of like a Museum at Night – to where the stair lift is to get down to the Sistine Chapel. I think I surprised a couple of guards along the way as I was motoring it so I could get back and outside to meet Mikael on time. Everything worked as planned and the Sistine Chapel was exactly as I remember it – including the dirty square in the corner which was left to show exactly how dirty the ceiling was before the restoration took place. Unfortunately no pictures are allowed in the Chapel so you will have to look online to see what I mean!
After an express walk again down the upper level after going back up the stair lift, I met Mikael and I showed him how to get to St. Peter’s Basilica, including getting through the huge security line! I had last been here in April, 2022 with Andrew, and compared to this visit, last April the Basilica it was empty! Wow can they put a lot of tours in a lot of languages in one area! Again, the historical areas pointed out and their history was amazing and what I missed in 2022 when Andrew and I walked around on our own. We then had an hour break in the shade (it was about 30 degrees C) before meeting the bus.
The bus took us past Palatine Hill and to the Colosseum. The first time I saw the Colosseum 18 months ago, when I came around a corner, was the same as when the bus pulled up across the street. Phenomenal. We walked partially around it and then had free time for the afternoon and to get our own dinner. Liz and I started walking back towards our hotel, which is now father away in the Prati district. I was able to walk with Liz about half way until my foot got too sore (keep in mind my toe is still broken) and took a taxi the rest of the way. This time Liz made it back to the hotel fairly quickly and did not get lost along the way!
After a couple of hours we went for another walk to check out a grocery store nearby which I have had success purchasing gluten free food at (Carrefour). Despite being smaller than our condo in Vancouver, it did not let us down! Two tall shelving units of gluten free foods and in the back of the store – what I was looking for – Coke Zero! On the way back to the hotel, we ran into a gelato place that was offering gluten free gelato so we just had to try it! I had coconut/chocolate gelato and it was devine!
Off to bed early tonight! Tomorrow is Pompeii! Her are my pictures from today!
