Saying goodbye to Greece was hard, but we have many more adventures coming as we take EuRail around Europe!
Fond memories of Santorini Island and Athens, Greece
Yes, we landed here in Rome, Italy, coming from Greece! It’s hard to believe that this is our last plane ride before heading home, because the rest of the trip we will be taking trains.
In Rome, we stayed in a Marriott, which is our family’s favorite hotel company (we all highly recommend it)!
The first day we just stayed at the hotel and explored what it had to offer.
After all, a girl has got to get some rest sometime!
and play — a lot!
They had an awesome pool and spa and I had so much fun swimming with my Mama.
I love to swim, day and night! I hope my swim team is doing great this season!
The next day, we ventured into the Vatican City, which is its own little state.
This is where the Pope usually lives, but the current Pope Frances thinks it is too luxurious, so he lives in a hotel nearby.
Tomorrow, and every Wed. the Pope says Mass and speaks to over 15,000 people.
I learned that Vatican City is the smallest internationally recognized independent state in the world by both area and population.
We signed up for a tour with Alejandro from Happy Travels and he knew a lot about the history of Vatican City. The lines were hundreds of people long, but we avoided the lines by going with the tour.
We went to the Vatican Museum, which had many sculptures, paintings and tapestries in it. I especially like the sculpture of Apollo.
Each tapestry tells a story from The Bible
Did you know that the Romans loved Greek mythology so much that they changed the names of the Greek Gods to make Roman mythology?
For example, they changed Zeus to Jupiter and Artemis to Diana. They symbolized the same things they just changed their names and what they looked like.
They also made them more “war-like.” The only Greek God the Romans kept the same was Apollo and that is why we saw his sculpture in the Vatican Museum!
Later in history the Romans changed from Roman Gods to Christianity.
The first question this Cardinal asked us was if we were Catholic!
The vatican has “mini” museums within it and has the largest collection in the world.
From the museum, we went to the Sistine Chapel.
The artist who painted this Sistine chapel was Michael Angelo. Have you ever seen the famous painting with two men with their fingers almost touching? That painting is a part of the Sistine Chapel and symbolizes the moment when God was creating Adam.
Instead of signing his paintings, sometimes Michael Angelo would incorporate his portrait into the painting. He did this in the Sistine Chapel where he put his portrait on the face of an apostle who was skinned alive. Interesting right? I wouldn’t put my face on human skin!
After the tour, we went to St. Peter’s Basilica. Michael Angelo was also one of the designers of the Basilica too. Wow, was he talented!
You think that you have seen the most beautiful church in the world?
Well, if you have never been here, you haven’t. Saint Peter is buried in a tomb below the Basilica and many other Popes have been buried here. The Pope gives sermons in the Basilica and in the building adjacent to the Basilica facing St. Peter’s Square.
It was a long and hot day, but worth every minute! Tomorrow we head to the Pantheon, and OMG, the Coliseum! I can’t wait!
Swiss Guards protect the Vatican and the Pope
Ponte Sant’Angelo —Under Pope Gregory I, the bridge took on the name Sant’Angelo, explained by a legend that an angel appeared on the roof of the castle to announce the end of the plague.
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Keep Calm and Travel Around the World
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