Booked our tickets online for the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel and walked the short distance across the Ponte Sisto to the bus stop. Interestingly our train, boat and bus tickets have rarely been checked on any public transport we have used on our trip. We suspect there are lots of free riders in Italy.
Caught the 23 bus to St Peters Basilica and joined the long queue. An amazing setting with the imposing dome and enveloping Roman columns. The huge basilica swallows up people and is absolutely magnificent. Pictures cannot capture the enormity of the place or its pure beauty. Almost 2 hours of neck craning flew past. The church service with choral singing added to the reverent aura. Supremo.
Walked a short distance to a side walk cafe for lunch and then shot past the huge queue with our online ticket into the Vatican Museo. It would take years to view all the exhibits in the museum so we concentrated on the Egyptian, Roman, tapestry and of course the Sistine Chapel itself.
Crowds of people within the Chapel jam packed looking in awe at Michaelangelo's works painted over 11 years. So much to absorb and making the most of our audio guides. The Chapel is smaller and darker than we thought it would be but the light shines as you begin to look. Although he regarded himself more as a sculptor he was not too bad with the paint brush. Achieving the exactness in proportion and interrelationships with each figure is quite mind blowing.
Through the beautiful map room on the way out and back on the bus home to Trastevere. Dinner in a nearby piazza of sea bass in potato crust. Lovely waiters, free lemoncello and humming atmosphere.
Next day it was a bit of shopping before flying to London. The end of a fantastic 5 weeks in Italy - a must do travel experience. Mille grazie Kay and Justin -our amazing travel companions.
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