Vatican City Day 12

Day 12

Woke up early to catch your tour at 0730hrs, stop over at a bar near to the vatican for breakfast. It is the most expensive breakfast, €6/- for coffee and doughnut. Lucky it was the last days, we are within the budget. The Vatican Museum is really large, you could spend a day walking and not knowing what you are seeing!. Also this must be the most visited museum in the world, do make a beeline to the Sistine chapel or else you will just be squeezed out. Because of the tour, we skipped the lines and the queues and was there alone with no body. Best time to enjoy the Sistine Chapel, we were to return later, it was packed. The tour was about 4 hours long, and only for the important parts of the museum and St Peters as well.

Vatican Museum Outside

Vatican Museum

Vatican Museum Pope's Coat of Arms

Vatican Museum Ceilings

Hercules

Tapestry 

Mosaic Flooring

More Frescoes

Rafael Fresco

The Ceiling

After that, we decided to make the 515 steps up St Peters, €5/- for climbing all the stairs. €7/- for the half-way climb. The climb is amazing, amazingly tiring. The higher you go, the narrower the steps. There is little ventilation upwards, I wonder if it was packed and in summer. Anyway during the climb there are some rest stops, thankfully. And to see some nice views as well as getting closer to the dome. Get to see the mosaics too. Finally when you reach the observation area, the whole of Rome is at your feet. Worth the Climb! Now next thing is to climb down.

Michelangelo Pieta

Looking Down to the Floor of St Peters

Mosaics 

The Stairs

The View from the top

The View from the Top

The View from the Top

Lunch was expensive affair too, and then made our way to Castel St Angelo which would be the last place we will visit. This large fort is rather boring?!. Except that you can again climb to the top, not so bad this time. And see St Peter's from it and the Ponte Angelo with the Tiber River flowing.

Top of Castel St Angelo

View of St Peter's from Castel St Angelo

Castel St Angelo

This was follow by walking from Campo Dei Fiore all the way back the hotel and to pack our backs to go home. Will I be back again? Could be, there are still places I would like to see!