Vatican City

Saturday morning, we stuffed ourselves full of delicious pancakes and headed out to Vatican City to see St Peter's and the Vatican Museum.

Vatican City is only 3.7 km away from our hotel and the weather was so lovely that we decided to walk. We even managed to catch a view of the Palace of Justice and Castel Sant'Angelo along the way. I kept waiting to encounter the scary Roman drivers, but it wasn't that bad at all, but then nothing seems that bad after walking around Kathmandu. No cows in the middle of the road, no problem!

Our first view of Piazza San Pietro was stunning, and we had a ton of time to enjoy it and pose for pics as we queued up for quite some time to go through security to enter the church.

It was really hot in the open sun, and we were more than glad to enter the cool church.

We got to see some amazing sculptures, including the Pieta by Michaelangelo...

And the keys to heaven...

And the Baldacchino by Bernini was more than impressive...

But it was the architecture of the church that really blew me away.

We had plenty of time to walk around with our mouths hanging open in awe before we had to walk over to the Vatican Museums for our timed entry. During the walk, I bought a gelato from one of the many food trucks and had a good giggle at the uniforms of the Swiss Guards. I mean, seriously?! No wonder he looks so angry-sad.

J was pretty stoked about the Vatican Museums and probably more than a little relieved to get out of the day's heat.

I really enjoyed the museum, and some of my favourites included the mosaic floor in the animals room.

The ceilings were also amazing in pretty much all of the rooms.

And the most spirally staircase I've come across yet was pretty fun.

But the mother of them all and the main reason lots of people visit the Vatican Museum is the Sistine Chapel. It's still a working chapel and the place where the cardinals get together to vote for a new pope, so no pictures or talking is allowed. J and I gawked silently at the ceiling and the walls, and the frescoes were a wonderful way of seeing the Bible come to life.

I didn't believe it when people told me that Vatican City would take an entire day, but it really did. We walked slowly back to our hotel to enjoy a dinner of meatballs and cassata and cannoli and a breadbasket that needed to be replenished three times before hitting the hay. Viva Roma!