We did really good - we were actually off the mountain a little after 5 am! About an hour into the ride, it began to rain heavily. It continued off and on for most of the morning. We got to our hotel at the Rome airport by 11:30. Fortunately, our rooms were ready, so we were able to freshen up before our next and final adventure. Lenny returned the van and we taxied into the city to meet with our guide, Cynthia, for our tour of the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and Basilica. She was so knowledgeable and thorough!
I've been to the museum on both of our lasts visits, but this was amazing...and the crowds were not so terrible. Aside from the incredible ceiling of the chapel, I was intrigued by the hall of maps and tapestries. These maps are frescos that date back to the 13th century. I think I wrote about them back in 2010. Seeing Quaglietta AND Terranova on these ancient walls...breathtaking... and gives one an appreciation for roots and ancestry!
We had a perfunctory walk through of the Basilica, but I have to admit I was museum weary. By the time we exited, the rain had commenced again. Cynthia was kind enough to walk us to a taxi stand off the beaten path, so we didn't have to deal with crowds.
It was my intention to maybe see the Trevi fountain and the Pantheon. However, I didn't realize that 5pm is dark as midnight. In summer, one could continue to walk everywhere til 10PM! So instead we opted for a return to the hotel where we'd have our last night together. We were all leaving in the morning, but at different times.
Get this... after 3 weeks of fantastic food, we all had burgers and fries for dinner!!!
USA - here we come!
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