Vatican City

It would be a sin to get all the way to Rome and not go to the Vatican.

Haha! Just kidding...See what I did there? But really, the Vatican isn't just home to the Pope, but also home to some of the greatest works of art in the world! Two words: Sistine Chapel. It's the smallest principality in the world, but it also contains the largest church in the world- St. Peter's Basilica.

You could spend days admiring the vast amount of art contained in the Vatican Museum; however, that wasn't in the cards for our group. We were on the super-fast track and saw the highlights of the museum, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's all before noon! I don't recommend speeding through, but I definitely would recommend touring as part of a group for two main reasons:

1. As a member of a tour group you get to jump the insanely long line which is known to wrap around the Vatican wall.
2. Your tour guide will give you a much better understanding of what you see and its historical importance along with fun facts, stories and an overall greater appreciation for what could be an overwhelming museum.

The line went as far as the eye could see in both directions! This was at 8am!

 Holy ceilings and tapestries! Bahaha I'm cracking myself up! I adore how so many European buildings, churches, museums, etc. have incredibly intricate ceilings. It's as if they view the ceiling as a gigantic blank canvas begging to become a beautiful masterpiece.

And then there's the mother of all ceiling masterpieces...The Sistine Chapel. Inside you aren't allowed to talk, take photos, sit down, video, eat, and so on. Basically the only thing you are allowed to do is observe.

Thankfully, our tour guide, Anna Rita, conveniently brought a poster of both The Sistine Chapel and The Last Judgment and provided insight into each of the scenes Michelangelo painted and told us what to look for prior to entering (since we weren't allowed to talk once we went inside). It took four long, back-breaking years for Michelangelo to complete this remarkable work of Biblical scenes. To think that he didn't even consider himself a painter and had no idea how to make a fresco prior to this is unbelievable! Can you imagine if painting, rather than sculpting, was his passion? Mamma Mia!

The door and the roped off area are both only reserved for one man and he goes by the name of Pope Francis.

You don't have to be Catholic to appreciate all that St. Peter's Basilica has to offer. In fact, call me crazy, but I enjoyed being there more this time than in 2008 when the Pope was there (no offense Pope Benedict!). I say that because there was a sea of people which inhibited us from being able to see the entire church. So, avoid going on a Wednesday morning if you're indifferent about seeing the Pope or make a point to go back on another day as well.

The Pieta by Michelangelo is my favorite sculpture in the world. 

A visit to the Vatican isn't complete without a witnessing a changing of the Swiss Guard. To be eligible to become a member of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, you must be a male, Swiss citizen- as the name suggests, Catholic (duh), un-married, between the ages of 19-30, at least 5' 8.5" (sorry, if you're 5'8"- you're cut), successfully completed the Swiss military training with good conduct and have at least a high school degree. That's all. :)

Tschüss!