Rome: St Peter's Basilica and The Vatican

No doubt Rome is on many people's bucket list of places to visit. Which would explain why the city was so mobbed, even in the supposedly off-season month of October. How visitors survive the notoriously long lines at the Vatican museums and St Peter's Basilica (and other popular attractions) in the heat of the summer season is beyond me.

Our recent trip included three days in Rome, and one day was spent at the Vatican. We had bought our Vatican Museum tickets online for 11 a.m. and were pleased to skip the long lines at the entrance. Little did we know that once you get through security, you'll be greeted with throngs of tourists, and group tours aplenty. It was so crowded we gave up using the audio guides; there was simply no room to linger and listen to a specific piece of artwork. We just kept moving along from one section to the other, grabbing the opportunity to take pictures of the impressive artworks here and there.

We love this stunning spiral staircase!
Where we descended and exited the Vatican Museum

Marble basin at the Sala Rotonda

  

ambling down the Gallery of Maps

As we entered the Sistine Chapel, we noticed tourists were already packed like sardines in the room. Security guards were on hand to usher people along. Standing and gazing up at the 68 foot ceiling to admire Michelangelo's famed masterpieces is no easy feat. There were benches all along the sides, if you're so lucky to get a seat to contemplate the biblical frescoes. As I sat there, I realized I'm slowly becoming my aunts. Why go there when you can watch it on TV or YouTube? We're not religious. Nor are we art history fans.

The grand St Peter's Basilica

At St Peter's Square, the line was fairly quick on a Tuesday afternoon. The splendor of St Peter's Basilica awed us as soon as we entered. It is an immense building rich with history, arts and architecture.

Baldacchino is a solid bronze canopy, designed by Bernini

Michelangelo’s most famous sculpture the Pietà

We joined another line to go up to the dome, not knowing that there would be a fee of 8 Euros (6 if you prefer to walk) cash only. We saw the sign after lining up for at least 30 minutes or more. Good thing we had some cash with us. You ride up the elevator, then climb some 161 steps up a narrow passageway that winds around the dome.  This was quite exciting. The reward was a close up look of the dome and a spectacular view of Rome. We had explored the city the day before so we could identify some of the buildings and places.

The Dome

The crowd atop the dome

View of St Peter's Square

Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II (white building in the distance)

View of buildings in Rome

See the railings above the dome? We were there a few pictures earlier
(4th picture above this one)

A 2015 article in The Economist said the Vatican Museums attracted 5.89M visitors in 2014, almost as many as The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, except the Met is 5 times bigger! No wonder we felt so cramped. Perusing the pictures (over 500 of the Vatican alone!) of our trip, we're glad we visited, even if it was stressful at times. Don't roll your eyes when we tell you we ate at the McCafe in the Piazza Spagna area. It is hands down the biggest and most stylish McDonald we've ever been to. The desserts were decadent, the Americano coffee excellent, all served with real good quality utensils (no plastic stuff here)! They even have macarons!

Fabulous desserts in a McCafe in Rome 

If Rome is on your bucket list, do it as soon as you are able. Walking the centuries-old cobblestone roads will take a toll on your feet. Know that lines will be long. Come prepared with a plan to minimize wait times, and you'll have a less stressful vacation.

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