Show No Fear! DIS Exclusive Viva Italia+DLP TR Sept 2014*COMPLETE* New TR link added 7/3

[sayhello]

At that point, we were ready to head into the Sistine Chapel. The ceiling in the hallway leading there was also beautiful, with a large dome.


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You do know that that is the "Angels & Demons" dome, right?

That globe outside the Sistine chapel still looks like the Death Star to me... but I didn't know it spins!

I loved that map room, too!

And that line waiting to get into the Vatican museum. It's one of the reasons I love ABD! We didn't have to wait in it!

Sayhello

 

[khertz]

Beautiful pictures. Yes the Sistine Chapel is amazing. Back in 2007 we were on the Disney cruise and had an after hours tour of the Chapel and the guards let us take pictures and video. They are great but can't compare to being there as you can attest. The ceilings in the map and tapestry rooms also were amazing for they all are painted to fool the eye. The stairs were opened around Easter by the Pope and in our group we exited from the chapel down those stairs. Thanks again for your exquisite pictures and narrative.

I so wish we would have been able to do the after hours tour. It sounds amazing! Unfortunately it wasn't possible for the dates we were there. But yes, all the pictures and videos in the world can't do it justice!

Well it seems I'm a little behind, oops!!

Wow that does sound annoying about the people trying to sell you stuff, so aggressive.

Mmm DH's risotto looks yum. As does your pasta! I'm totally a pasta girl myself.

With so many courses, it's no surprise that it takes so long. But also nice to give you time to relax and actually enjoy your meal.

Beautiful pics, I am sure the Sistine Chapel was breathtaking.

The aggressive people selling stuff was totally frustrating and annoying. It takes you out of the moment when you're trying to absorb as much as you can in these beautiful cities. Unfortunately we found them everywhere!

I love me some pasta, so Italy is definitely the place for me!

The Sistine Chapel was another total "pinch me" moment!

Just amazing to see all of the sculptures and art they have there. So much history contained in those walls!!

I'm glad that you got to see the Sistine Chapel and have the bonus of a prayer during your visit. I guess I'll just have to settle for the Spaceship Earth version of it here in about a month.

I appreciate Dustin's stealth mode photography to give us at least a little taste of it!

We didn't even scratch the surface of the Vatican museums. It is really incredible to think of all of the history there!

The SE version is still pretty cool, because you're in Disney World and all. But seeing the real thing gave me goosebumps!

I didn't realize he had done that until he showed it to me later. I couldn't believe he had been brave enough to sneak a picture after the warnings we had been given before going in! But I'm glad he did. It will make a nice background in the photobook.

Very cool! Some really nice pictures as well.

I miss the "paddle of power".

I miss the paddle too!! It was so comforting to be in a foreign country and see that paddle leading you.

First, I love how you are referring to the group as "family" now

I don't know what your problem was ... there were what, 3 or 4 pieces of artwork to keep up with my goodness, the volume of art produced / commissioned by the church is incredible ... and to think the amount on display is just a fraction of what they have in storage

That sounds amazing to be there while a priest/brother was saying a prayer. As a practicing Catholic and someone who minored in comparative religion definitely really want to get to see the Vatican in person at some point

Maybe Disney just works on ancient Roman times ... I mean, it took them 15 years to make a fancy rug. In comparison, 2 years to build a parking garage doesn't seem so bad

I have heard them say it dozens of times on the podcast, but it's just not understandable until you have been there. But those folks really do become family!

I think you are right about the Vatican, they rotate things out. I don't remember how long Cristina told us it would take to look at every single piece, but it was WAY more time than we had! I do believe it was measured in YEARS.

As a Catholic, I was just amazed when we had the opportunity to pray inside Sistine Chapel. And the day only got better from there, if you can believe it! Seriously, this whole day reminded me how much I treasure my faith, and what an amazing opportunity it was to be in the home of Catholicism.

One of the other churches we will visit later took 3 centuries to complete, so I guess that takes the heat off of Disney's parking garage just a little bit.

Sadly, Dusty's schedule was cram packed and we did not get to see him! Oh well, 7 weeks until we are in Orlando and we might see him then!

That's a bummer! Hopefully you get to see him in Orlando!

"...as long as the line was that morning, it was nothing like how long it can get in the busiest of times!" Kind of like Disney actually.

You know, I never considered even the possibility of a security area. I get it, but it never really occurred to me that there would be one.

Haha, I see that globe, I think Epcot. I can't help it, lol.

Wow, I imagine being in the Sistine Chapel would be mind blowing. One of those places pretty much everyone has heard of. I imagine it must be terribly difficult not to take photos just from instinct.

There were quite a lot of parallels to Disney on this trip, and long lines was definitely one of them. Luckily we had the FP++ in the form of an orange paddle!!

Several places we went to had a security checkpoint, but this one was definitely the most chaotic and serious!

I am pretty sure a few people on the trip said the same thing about that globe! Now if only they could get SE to spin...

There were several places we went that didn't allow photography, and it was hard on me, so I know it was driving DH nuts! Photos would never do it justice though, anyway. It is incredibly overwhelming trying to take it all in while you can. There is just SO much to look at!

Wow, what beautiful pictures and such an interesting update. I learned a lot of new info!

I love that the group is now "family."

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

They really are. That is what happens when you share such an amazing experience with a group of like-minded people.

Geez, how did I get so far behind?! Catching up now!!

LOL fun fact, my first meal in Italy I didn't know there was a meat course after the pasta course, and I was STARVING so I literally ate three plates of pasta. Then they came around with the meat. Oops.

The night shots are beautiful!

I never would have guessed that the Colosseum only took 8 years to build!

Ughhhh that pizza looks so good!!!

GROM <3 lemon gelato was my favorite so I'm pleased with DH's choice.

Ooooh yeah I had a similar rose experience in Florence. Not fun, especially since I'm kind of shy and have a hard time saying no to people.

The Vatican looks amazing! So glad you had such a great experience in the Sistine Chapel.

I didn't expect SO many meals to be several courses! It is really hard to pace yourself though when all of the food is sooooooo delicious.

I think we were all pretty surprised when she said the Colosseum was built in only 8 years. Just amazing to think about, considering the primitive construction tools they had compared to what we have now.

The pizza and the GROM were all fantastico. We ate SO well on this trip! I kept teasing him about picking the lemon, because it just doesn't seem to go with anything. But clearly he enjoyed it because he got it whenever he saw it available!

YES! I am the same way. He kept trying to give it to me and I felt like all eyes were on me, so I just took it. They made me so uncomfortable!!

It was just an incredible experience to see the Sistine Chapel with my own eyes after seeing it in books and reproductions for so long.

You do know that that is the "Angels & Demons" dome, right?

That globe outside the Sistine chapel still looks like the Death Star to me... but I didn't know it spins!

I loved that map room, too!

And that line waiting to get into the Vatican museum. It's one of the reasons I love ABD! We didn't have to wait in it!

Sayhello

Nope, I didn't realize that!

Once Cristina told us it spun and that only guides could do it, it was ON! She wasn't leaving there without spinning it!

It was such a great perk of ABD to get to skip all of those loooooooong lines! I can't imagine being very happy having to wait in them.

 

[khertz]

Day 4 Continued: Thursday September 18th

After an amazing moment in the Sistine Chapel, it was finally time to enter St. Peter’s Basilica! I am getting goosebumps just thinking about this moment!

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A look back out at the Square before heading inside…Still full of chairs!


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Then, it was one of the moments I have been waiting a LONG time for…We were going to see the Pieta! I remember learning about this statue in high school, and it moved me so much that I actually ended up writing a paper on it for a fine arts class I took in college. It is so amazing to me how a block of marble can be chipped away to convey such moving facial expressions and to look like folds of draped fabric. There are absolutely no words to describe the incredible beauty of this masterpiece. And lucky for us, there wasn’t a huge crowd in front of the glass that Cristina warned us is usually there. She had also warned us at this point to watch our purses and wallets because sadly, the close quarters around this work of art is the perfect setting for pick pockets to do their dirty work.

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This was, for me, where the tears I hadn’t been expecting started flowing. I felt so blessed to be standing there at that moment in time viewing this incredible masterpiece with my own two eyes and not in a photo in a book. Truly a religious experience!

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As we moved away from that, we came to the chapel where Saint John Paul II’s tomb is located.

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Cristina offered a chance for anyone who wanted to pray in the chapel to do so and then meet up with everyone else. I absolutely wanted to take up that offer, and that’s when the emotions really hit me. I had been looking forward to seeing the Pieta so much, but I hadn’t realized just how much of an impact the rest of St. Peter’s would have on me! Not to get too religious, but as a Catholic, being in the Basilica that is the home to my faith was even more moving than I ever could have imagined.

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See the lettering that winds around the walls up near the ceiling? They didn’t seem especially large, but Cristina told us they are actually 7 feet tall! And there was a quill in one of the painting she showed us up near the dome that looked pretty small, but Cristina said it would be taller than her if compared side by side.

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What an absolutely breathtaking altar!

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We filed into a line to walk past the bronze statue of St. Peter, where tradition is to rub or kiss his right foot. It is actually perfectly smooth with no defined toes because of all the rubbing it has endured!

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Closeup detail of the altarpiece​

Not totally sure, but maybe those that took the Scavi tour can chime in? I believe this is the entrance down into the tombs.

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Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

Day 4 Continued: Thursday September 18th

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At some point as we were walking through, Dusty grabbed DH and I for a photo pointing down into the tombs.

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There was a wedding chapel Cristina wanted to show us but it was closed because there was actually a wedding happening at the time! I can’t even imagine what it must be like to say you got married in St. Peter’s Basilica. Apparently it gets booked YEARS in advance, as you can probably imagine, and Cristina joked that you pretty much take whatever date you can get, even if it means reserving the date before you have a groom. It’s possible you’ll have several years to find one!

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The red curtains blocking off part of the ground stop you from walking on markers on the floor that show you how big some of the largest cathedrals in the world measure up to St. Peter’s. Some of the notable ones include Notre Dame in Paris and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC, none of which come close to the size of St. Peter’s.

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Then, sadly, it was time to head out of St. Peter’s. We made our way outside to the square and caught a glimpse of a Swiss Guard in their awesome looking uniforms.

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We had gotten a little surprise from our ABD guides, which was Vatican postcards that we addressed to ourselves to be mailed and postmarked from the Vatican post office. Here’s Dusty dropping them in the mailbox.

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We stopped for some family photos in front of St. Peter’s with Cristina. We took some nice ones, but then she asked for a fun pose, and who were we to say no?

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Dusty was in charge of just a few cameras for these photos. Lol

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Roger standing in 2 countries at once!​

After that, we were given some time to look around the large Vatican gift shop, where DH and I knew we had a few things we wanted to purchase. I got a new rosary for myself with a Mother Mary case for it, matching rosaries for DS and eventual baby #2, and a crucifix for eventual baby #2’s bedroom. We were able to have them blessed before being delivered to our hotel room later, which was great!

After that, we walked back to the bus to go to lunch at Terno Secca, where Mama was ready to cook a delicious meal for us!

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We sat with some of the other ABD newbies of the trip, Chris & Chuck and their friends Rick & Mike. We started off with bread and several different types of appetizers: beans, tomatoes, cold corn salads.

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The appetizers weren’t really my thing, nor DH’s, but it only helped us save room for the best part of the meal, the main course! We both (actually, I believe everyone at the table!) got the lasagna, which was completely mouthwatering and delicious! Best lasagna I have ever eaten, hands down.

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While we were eating, Marco came around to show us the Italian lira, the old currency before the Euro came into effect.

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Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

Day 4 Continued: Thursday September 18th

Mama came out towards the end of the meal to bring out the desserts she would be serving up for us, a chocolate marbled pound cake and a peach tart.

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To finish off the meal, we got a little bowl of fruit salad but we didn’t get a photo of that. It was a great meal, and very filling for lunch! Plus, we had great company to share it with.

We got back on the bus and had to say our farewells to Cristina, who would be done leading us around Rome. We got back to the hotel, and DH and I went upstairs to Skype with DS. He talked to us for a little while, then whispered to my MIL off camera “I’m finished talking to them” as if we couldn’t hear him! Lol

Marco & Dusty had set up a hospitality desk in the lobby for the next hour or so to give suggestions for other sites to visit on our own time or for restaurants for dinner that night, so we decided to stop by and see what they recommended. It was pretty funny when we asked for suggestions on sites to see because they started recommending a lot of the stuff we had already experienced, like Santa Maria del Popolo, the Castel Sant’Angelo, and Trastevre. Marco finally asked what did we need him for, we seemed to be doing so well on our own! Lol But he did suggest a couple of things we hadn’t seen yet.

DH had a plan in mind for that night to walk down to the Colosseum to take some night shots there, so we asked for restaurant suggestions in that general area. Dusty told us about a restaurant called Royal that was right across the street from the Colosseum. He warned us that while the food was not the best, sitting beside the Colosseum eating while the sun went down was a view that couldn’t be beat! So with their recommendations in mind, we went up to the room to pack up our stuff since we would be moving hotels in the morning. Then we headed out of the hotel. The first place we were interested in was a hidden gem that was literally steps away from the hotel, but in a direction we hadn’t thought to head yet!

Right next to our hotel was a large church with a crypt tour, so we headed there to look around and try to kill some time before sunset.

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Cool shell fountain in front of the church​

The church we were headed to is called Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini.

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The building was divided into the church on one side and the museum on the other. We decided to poke our heads into the church first. Sorry, you might be getting sick of church photos by now, but we went in a LOT of them!

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Once we were done in the church, we went over to the museum part where we paid a few Euro each to enter. There were no photos allowed beyond this point, which is a shame because we saw some really interesting things in there. It was filled with lots of artwork including paintings and small carvings, along with some belongings of the Capuchin friars who used to reside there. It took us about 20 minutes to walk through the museum, and then we made it to the Capuchin Crypt.

This was seriously one of the most strangely interesting things I have ever laid eyes on. The Capuchin friars would take the remains of their brothers who had died and used their bones to create these elaborate rooms in the crypts where bones covered almost every inch of the walls. There were hanging fixtures of bones, patterns of bones on the ceiling, furniture and scenes created out of bones, and even full sized skeletons on display! I borrowed a couple of pics from Wikipedia just to give you an idea of what I’m trying to describe.

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Capuchin Crypts by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

You walk along one wall, and there are several alcoves you pass where the bones depict different scenes or are displayed differently. There’s one room of bones that shows Jesus raising Lazarus. Then there are other rooms completely decorated in one kind of bone, like a room of skulls, one of pelvises, etc. It was kind of macabre, but it is meant to remind us all of our own mortality so in that way, I found it kind of cool. It was a great recommendation from the guides that we made sure to tell them about when we saw them the next day!

Their other suggestion was to go to the top of the wedding cake building to take photos of the views offered up there. So we started walking that way and, of course, found some churches to peek in along the way, starting with this one.

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This church was kind of an odd one. It was very plain compared to some of the other churches we had seen so far. It probably would be find on its own but amidst all of the opulence we had seen, it seemed a little boring. On top of that, it had big strips of blue, white, and yellow fabric hanging from the ceiling, though that looked temporary, like maybe it was part of some kind of celebration. It had pews lining the walls, and when we walked past one, there were a couple of bums sleeping in them! Lol It was a little strange, but you never know what you’re going to get when you go inside these churches.

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Then we made our way towards the wedding cake building, intending to go up to the top.

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Oops, we didn’t even make it there before finding more churches!

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Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

Day 4 Continued: Thursday September 18th

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Hey, look, we finally made it!

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We circled the building, but where it looked like you would enter to go up to the top, there were several guards in suits sending people away. We surmised that something was taking place inside the building that was preventing us from being able to go to the top. So that was kind of a disappointment.

Instead we spent a few minutes walking around the ruins we had seen on our first day in the city as the sun started to dip just a little lower in the sky.

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After feeling like we walked forever, we made it to the Colosseum! It was still light outside, and not what DH had come to take pictures of, but he just couldn’t help getting a few.

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We found the restaurant, and just like Dusty had promised, it was right across from the Colosseum! It was one of those places with a guy working out front asking people to stop in and eat, and I think he was a little surprised that we walked right up to ask for a table. He offered us one outside, but we asked about sitting up on the second floor balcony like Dusty had recommended. But he told us we wouldn’t be able to sit up there because there was a private party.

A bit of information for those who don’t know, there’s a table tax added to your bill when you sit outside, so often they will do what they can to get you to sit outside. I asked him if there was a restroom inside, but he obviously misunderstood because he told me it was much better to be outside! Lol I clarified what I had said and made him laugh when I said I certainly didn’t want to use the restroom outside! This was our view.

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After looking over the menu and talking about different options, DH decided to get the gnocchi in truffle cream sauce, and I got the cannelloni.

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Well, Dusty was right when he said the view would be the best part of this meal! Neither of us were very impressed with the food. I found mine to be pretty mushy and it tasted like Chef Boyardee. Not exactly what I was expecting! But at least I finished mine. DH didn’t, and the waiter seemed almost offended that there was still food left on his plate!

We had read that in most places in Europe, they will not just bring you the bill like servers in America do, you have to ask for it. We took advantage of that by just sitting and enjoying the view as the sun continued to set. When we did finally ask for the bill, we were pleasantly surprised to find that at least the meal hadn’t been very expensive, since it hadn’t been very good. Eventually, we got to walking to go over to the Colosseum.

I followed DH around as he took photos from different angles and did my best to avoid the hordes of street peddlers walking around and selling their junk. I wasn’t about to get had twice in one day!

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We were there for almost an hour, and I didn’t mind because I just enjoyed people watching while I was waiting for DH to set up and take his shots from different angles. My feet were starting to feel it so I had been talking about wanting to take a taxi back to the hotel, but ultimately we decided just to walk.

And that’s how we ended up in our very last church in Rome, Santa Maria Ai Monti.

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We passed through this crowded square that Dusty had told us about where a lot of university students hang out, and it was certainly buzzing!

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Did we go in one more church??

No, this one was closed. Lol I just thought it looked pretty from the outside. Eventually, we made it back to the hotel, where we ran into Cristina outside. She was either waiting for Dusty & Marco to go out to dinner with them or leaving after having dinner, I’m not sure, but it was nice to see her again and give her one more hug.

We headed upstairs to get ready for bed and to finish packing up. We were both looking forward to the rest of the trip, but we were definitely going to miss Rome! It was very much our sort of pace, and we enjoyed seeing all of the sights and enjoying the big city life. If we were ranking our favorite cities, Rome was at the top of both of our lists. But tomorrow, we were heading to a city that would unexpectedly made the list at number 2!

UP NEXT: Orvieto

 

[khertz]

In case you missed it, the DIS Unplugged recently posted the podcast episode discussing our very special Viva Italia departure! Dustin West also put together two exceptional videos, one an overview of our trip, and one a time lapse. Both of them are amazing and I have watched them several times! I thought I would post them here since I know not everyone listens to the podcast. The episode about the show is a little over an hour, but the overview & time lapse videos are about 5 minutes and worth a view!


DIS Unplugged Video Podcast

Viva Italia Overview Video

Viva Italia Time Lapse Video

Hope you enjoy!​

 

[saintstickets]

I am seriously loving this TR!! These ABD trips appear to be the greatest way to visit a foreign country especially if one cannot speak the local language.

This was, for me, where the tears I hadn’t been expecting started flowing. I felt so blessed to be standing there at that moment in time viewing this incredible masterpiece with my own two eyes and not in a photo in a book. Truly a religious experience!

Cristina offered a chance for anyone who wanted to pray in the chapel to do so and then meet up with everyone else. I absolutely wanted to take up that offer, and that’s when the emotions really hit me. I had been looking forward to seeing the Pieta so much, but I hadn’t realized just how much of an impact the rest of St. Peter’s would have on me! Not to get too religious, but as a Catholic, being in the Basilica that is the home to my faith was even more moving than I ever could have imagined.

I can only imagine how this experience made you feel as a person and especially being Catholic. I think I would feel very emotional myself and I flunked first year Latin and am Episcopalian/Anglican or as some call us - Catholic-lite!!

Fantastic TR!!!! One of the best ever.

 

[carpenta]

Beautiful pictures (again). The thing that amazed me was just the sheer space inside St. Peters. Amazing the size and hard to capture in pictures. We also went into the bone chapels.....different I would say. Down the street did you go into the church designed by Michelangelo? It was very simple from the outside yet really beautiful on the inside. Sorry to hear you could not go into the "Wedding cake". We had the opportunity and on the back side there is a staircase designed by a famous artist (I forgot which one) that was a real challenge to walk up but the views from the backside grassy areas were great. Thanks again for all your writings and letting me relive our trips to Rome.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I'm sure it's not a new thing, but it really does feel extra sad that a place so revered and beautiful is also a big place for crime.

I can only imagine how emotional this must have been to be there.

I don't know why but the whole concept of a "Vatican Gift Shop" makes me giggle.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I'm not surprised that you got emotional in St. Peter's - I was getting a bit emotional just reading along ... and I am sure the words, nor even the pictures, are the same as being there. Very cool that you got the gifts blessed there as well

The bone crypt is a bit odd, but also beautiful in a way as they were able to use all that remained of their fellow brothers to tell a story and impart a message. Though, I would like to have been a fly on the wall the first time one of them brought up the idea to the others.

Bummer you weren't able to get to the top of the Wedding Cake building - but seems like you still accomplished a bit and got to some new things as well.

Very pretty night shots of the coliseum - so I think going there at night was a good call.

I'd have been a bit worried as to the, um, state of the bathroom after the waiter recommends you use the outside one

 

[Cousin Orville]

Great update and great pictures. Rome is such a magnificent city. As I said before, it's such a beautiful experience walking around Rome at night and seeing the major architecture lit up. You feel like you're in the movie La Dolce Vita.

I'm looking forward to your Orvieto day, since I've never been there!

 

[OKW Lover]

I'm looking forward to your Orvieto day, since I've never been there!

I'm looking forward to this as well and I was on that tour!!!

Orvieto is a very "quaint" city perched on top of a hill. All narrow streets/passageways. Lots of shops selling food and crafts. There is a wonderful pottery shop across from the Domo that many in our group did some serious $ (make that Euro) purchases in. Hoping Kristy & Dustin have some good pictures of this place for the trip report.

 

[k5jm]

Not totally sure, but maybe those that took the Scavi tour can chime in? I believe this is the entrance down into the tombs.

It is, but we actually went into the Vatican Grottoes from the level underneath the Grottoes. The Grottoes were amazing as well, as were the chapels inside. It is a site/sight to behold.

 

[Sarabi's Cubs]

Beautiful pictures (again). Down the street did you go into the church designed by Michelangelo? It was very simple from the outside yet really beautiful on the inside.

We stumbled into this one (Santa Maria degli Angeli e Martiri)
by accident and I didn't even realize until later that it was designed by Michelangelo. It was built on the site of the Baths of Diocletion.

Laurie

 

[k5jm]

We stumbled into this one (Santa Maria degli Angeli e Martiri)
by accident and I didn't even realize until later that it was designed by Michelangelo. It was built on the site of the Baths of Diocletion.

Laurie

We were lucky enough to stumble on the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. It was A M A Z I N G!!

IMG_7337 by k5jmh, on Flickr

IMG_7362 by k5jmh, on Flickr

 

[courtneybelle]

The pictures of St. Peter's are absolutely stunning, and I'm glad you had such an amazing experience there! I had many friends study abroad in Rome and they got very emotional at St. Peter's as well.

I did laugh at the idea of booking the wedding chapel before you have a groom! Just book it and hope for the best, I suppose…

So sad to leave Rome, but I'm also very excited for you to get to the cities I visited!!!

 

[khertz]

I am seriously loving this TR!! These ABD trips appear to be the greatest way to visit a foreign country especially if one cannot speak the local language.



I can only imagine how this experience made you feel as a person and especially being Catholic. I think I would feel very emotional myself and I flunked first year Latin and am Episcopalian/Anglican or as some call us - Catholic-lite!!

Fantastic TR!!!! One of the best ever.

Thanks, Bill! Now that we have been spoiled to ABD, I don't think we would ever travel to a foreign country without them. We felt so comfortable with our guides! I was a little scared the first time we ventured off on our own, but eventually, you figure out how to communicate with the locals even if your Italian is pitiful.

I have to say, even those of us that were not Catholic seemed pretty impressed with St. Peter's. It's hard not to be!!

Beautiful pictures (again). The thing that amazed me was just the sheer space inside St. Peters. Amazing the size and hard to capture in pictures. We also went into the bone chapels.....different I would say. Down the street did you go into the church designed by Michelangelo? It was very simple from the outside yet really beautiful on the inside. Sorry to hear you could not go into the "Wedding cake". We had the opportunity and on the back side there is a staircase designed by a famous artist (I forgot which one) that was a real challenge to walk up but the views from the backside grassy areas were great. Thanks again for all your writings and letting me relive our trips to Rome.

The space is so incredibly huge, pictures really do not do it justice.

The church of bones was so weird, but I found it absolutely fascinating. Really incredible how they put in all that detail in just bones!

We didn't find that church, I suppose. We didn't really go into the trip with a list of churches to visit, we just stopped inside the ones we passed.

Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

I'm sure it's not a new thing, but it really does feel extra sad that a place so revered and beautiful is also a big place for crime.

I can only imagine how emotional this must have been to be there.

I don't know why but the whole concept of a "Vatican Gift Shop" makes me giggle.

It is a total shame that in the midst of being awed by this incredible piece of artwork, you have to remain "in reality" so to speak and make sure your bag or wallet is protected.

The Vatican gift shop is kind of a silly concept, but man, do they have some beautiful items in there!! I'll have to get some pictures of our souvenirs to post.

I'm not surprised that you got emotional in St. Peter's - I was getting a bit emotional just reading along ... and I am sure the words, nor even the pictures, are the same as being there. Very cool that you got the gifts blessed there as well

The bone crypt is a bit odd, but also beautiful in a way as they were able to use all that remained of their fellow brothers to tell a story and impart a message. Though, I would like to have been a fly on the wall the first time one of them brought up the idea to the others.

Bummer you weren't able to get to the top of the Wedding Cake building - but seems like you still accomplished a bit and got to some new things as well.

Very pretty night shots of the coliseum - so I think going there at night was a good call.

I'd have been a bit worried as to the, um, state of the bathroom after the waiter recommends you use the outside one

The Vatican really threw me off, because while I was looking forward to it, it wasn't at the very top of my list of things I wanted to do while we were there. So I was totally unprepared for the effect it was going to have on me being inside such a sacred place. Pictures and words can't ever really describe it. I hope that I will always remember that feeling of being there!

I never thought about it that way, but you're totally spot on! "Hey guys, so a lot of us have been buried outside and we're running out of room...What do you say we decorate the downstairs in their bones?" It was one of the most weirdly beautiful things I have ever seen!

I was definitely glad I had decided to venture out with DH to see the Colosseum at night. I wish we would have had the opportunity to see more of the historical sites at night! It gives it a whole different look and vibe than during the daytime. Kind of like Disney.

Thankfully, they were very nice!!!

Great update and great pictures. Rome is such a magnificent city. As I said before, it's such a beautiful experience walking around Rome at night and seeing the major architecture lit up. You feel like you're in the movie La Dolce Vita.

I'm looking forward to your Orvieto day, since I've never been there!

We just LOVED Rome! It was definitely our pace, and I was completely enamored by all of the history there around every corner. It took on a whole different style at night, so I was glad we got to experience that at the Colosseum.

We loved Orvieto! Hopefully the pictures and descriptions I can provide will convey how great of a little city it is!

I'm looking forward to this as well and I was on that tour!!!

Orvieto is a very "quaint" city perched on top of a hill. All narrow streets/passageways. Lots of shops selling food and crafts. There is a wonderful pottery shop across from the Domo that many in our group did some serious $ (make that Euro) purchases in. Hoping Kristy & Dustin have some good pictures of this place for the trip report.

"Quaint" is the perfect word to describe Orvieto. As much as I loved Rome, if I ever had the opportunity to pack up and move to Italy, I'd want to be in a little place like Orvieto.

Sorry to say, I don't think we took many inside the pottery shop because we didn't spend a lot of time there! But we definitely have a lot from Orvieto.

It is, but we actually went into the Vatican Grottoes from the level underneath the Grottoes. The Grottoes were amazing as well, as were the chapels inside. It is a site/sight to behold.

Thanks for the clarification! If and when we are ever back in Italy (and I sincerely hope we will be someday!), we will definitely need to do that tour.

We stumbled into this one (Santa Maria degli Angeli e Martiri)
by accident and I didn't even realize until later that it was designed by Michelangelo. It was built on the site of the Baths of Diocletion.

Laurie

Very cool!

We were lucky enough to stumble on the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. It was A M A Z I N G!!

IMG_7337 by k5jmh, on Flickr

IMG_7362 by k5jmh, on Flickr

Oh wow, that is BEAUTIFUL!! Thanks for sharing!

The pictures of St. Peter's are absolutely stunning, and I'm glad you had such an amazing experience there! I had many friends study abroad in Rome and they got very emotional at St. Peter's as well.

I did laugh at the idea of booking the wedding chapel before you have a groom! Just book it and hope for the best, I suppose…

So sad to leave Rome, but I'm also very excited for you to get to the cities I visited!!!

It's definitely a sight to behold, and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to visit and pray there. Something I will cherish for a lifetime!

When Cristina told us that, I couldn't help but laugh at that idea! Can you imagine that first date? "So, I need to know right now where this is heading because I have the chapel at St. Peter's booked for two years from now."

 

[Sarabi's Cubs]

Oh, that's one thing to point out! There IS a place to pray in St. Peter's. The Basilica is so crowded, but there is a chapel reserved for prayer on the right side further down from the Pieta and it was very nice and quiet!

Laurie

 

[MEK]

I agree with Bill! The ABD trips really seem like the way to go. Everything is handled for you and the guides sound amazing.

I have often heard how Rome is beyond spectacular. My aunt and uncle go there frequently and just live there for about 6 weeks at a time. Seeing you pictures of the basilica is so inspiring. I'll admit. I had tears in my eyes when you described your experience. How very moving.

Lunch looks delicious and, even though dinner was not the greatest, you really DID have a spectacular view.

I would have a hard time passing up the different churches. I find them to be such fascinating works of art. Even the most humble church has such beauty.