An early start this morning had us on our bus at 7:30 am. We were on the way to visit The Vatican.

Once inside, it was hard to know where to look. The walls and ceilings all displayed various forms of art. There were tapestries, paintings, frescos and more. What a visual feast!

Our cameras had to be put away before we entered the Sistine Chapel. It was breathtaking. The ceiling, done by Michelangelo was much more than the famous “Creation” which was in the centre. I was surprised that it was no larger than the other paintings. More surprising was how vivid the colours were. Centuries later, I had expected them to be faded.

The upper walls were decorated with panels from many other painters. All were amazing and kept us captivated as we tried to take in as much as possible before our time inside was up.

We had a few minutes to take pictures of the outside of the Vatican before having to be on our way.

Back on the bus, we crossed the Tiber River, passed by the Castle of the Angels and then the Court of Judgement, which is so ornate the locals call it The Ugly Building!

Enroute to Florence we passed by many fields of sunflowers. We were told that they are used for much more than decoration. Other than olive oil, sunflower oil is the only oil used here.

The journey will continue with the next post.