Our second day in Rome started early. We had a special tour planned, and it could only happen early in the morning. The Sistine Chapel, with its amazing Michelangelo frescoes on the ceiling and front wall, is naturally usually very crowded. After all, almost everybody who visits Rome wants to see it. The last time we went there, the place was so crowded that it was hard to really appreciate the art. So this time, we booked an early morning tour that got us in before the museum opened. By getting ourselves up and across town by 7:00 in the morning (yawn), we were able to spend as much time as we wanted in the Sistine Chapel with only a few other people. It was wonderful. We could sit down in the seats on the sides, look up at the art, and think about the many conclaves that had taken place in that room. How many popes have been elected here? I don’t know. It is was a very special experience. Unfortunately, you can’t take pictures in the Sistine Chapel, so I don’t have any to share. We did walk quickly through the Vatican Museum on the way to the Sistine Chapel. I have pictures of that.
After we were finished viewing the Sistine Chapel, we had to make a choice. Both options were appealing. We could have stayed in the Vatican Museum as long as we wanted to. Like all day… But we chose not to do that because we had been there before, and we expect to go back again. Instead we were able to take the direct passage from the Sistine Chapel into St. Peter’s. This saved a long wait outside St. Peter’s, and we wanted to make sure that the kids got to see the inside of the church.
We said, “Hi.” to St. Peter.
And to the Swiss Guard. 
But neither of them said anything to us!
Blessings,
Linda
