Today was Vatican Day! Being the last Sunday of the month, St. Peter's and the Vatican Museum were open and free. But free means crowded; so we got there super early and waited in line for the Museum first. I was nervous because when we were in Rome last October, this is where I got lost and seperated from the group. I was pretty anxious that one of us would get separated this time especially with the tendency of some of us to wander aimlessly when sightseeing. However, since we were there so early, it wasn't nearly as crowded so we were okay. We saw the Raphael Rooms and Sistine Chapel amongst other beautiful things.
Then we shopped along the path from the museum to St. Peter's Square and bought some nice things. It happened that as we walked up to the Square, the Pope was giving his Sunday address, so that was a nice treat/surprise. The Square was teeming with sightseers and religious devotees alike. I thought it was pretty cool to see the Pope, so I can only imagine what it might have been like for somebody who sees him and the area as a religious site rather than just a cultural/tourist site. We got into the Basilica and reveled in all the glory of the building.
We walked around some more and bought some more stuff, got gelato and headed back for our afternoon siesta. After a few hours, we headed out to see the Pantheon and Piazza Navona and had a nice dinner (more pizza!). We saw the Piazza again after night fall and headed home to plan for our next adventure!
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