Having reserved tickets online, we were able to breeze by the long line of tourists waiting to get into the Vatican on Monday morning. We wondered actually how many people in the long line also had reservations and just didn't realize that there was a second line with no waiting. It's the line nearest the street should any of you be visiting!
The Vatican museums are as expected enormous and impressive. There is a huge collection of Roman, Greek and Etruscan art as well as religious art from around the world. We did visit the Sistine Chapel, and I at least greatly admired Michelangelo's work there. Jake was put off by the ostentatious display of wealth and symbolism and its implications I think. The audio tour lays on theology pretty thickly although it was nice to have it along.
Pictured are the ceiling of the map gallery and the circular staircase built so that a horse could be ridden up.
The line to get into St. Peter's basilica was incredibly long, so we settled for a photo op in St. Peter's Square and chose to wander around the city instead.
Our final meal in Rome was at Osteria dell' Angelo on the corner opposite our hotel. It's run by an ex-Rugby player and is staffed by ex-Rugby players. They have a set menu at a reasonable price. We had an appetizer of small white beans cooked with Rosemary, a tuna spread and garlic toast, a choice of 4 pastas, choice of 5 meats, and dessert of cookies dipped in sweet wine. I got a simple but very good spaghetti with black pepper and parmesan and Jake got penne with Amatricaria sauce. He ordered oxtail as his second plate and I had the rabbit ("bugs bunny" the waiter said!). I also wanted the braised chickory as my vegetable and got many warnings from the waiter about how strong it was. It was very garlicky and chickory's a bitter green, but it was tasty.
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