We didn’t make many specific plans for our trip, but we did reserve tickets to see the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. On my first trip to Rome, I didn’t go through either, but this time we bought tickets in advance.
Admittedly, I’m not a slow browser at museums, and usually go at a pretty quick pace. Even at my quick pace, the Vatican Museums take a very long amount of time to go through before you get to the Sistine Chapel.
The frescos, paintings and artifacts throughout the museum were amazing.
And I feel like a bit of a heathen saying this, but I was more impressed by the following hallway than I was by the actual Sistine Chapel.
Let me explain. The chapel was packed. There were thousands of people in there. And they were all talking. And the guards were all shushing. So it wasn’t a reverent or reflective atmosphere. I finally grabbed a tiny edge of a bench to sit down and try to take everything in. I turned on my Rick Steves’ Audio Europe Free Sistine Chapel Audio guide on my iPod and listened to a few minutes. I went to the other side of the room so I could see the whole thing. But in the end I just wasn’t feeling it. Don’t get me wrong, all the detail in the work is impressive. The place is beautiful and the frescoes tell a wonderful story. I know I’d feel a lot differently if had the proper atmosphere to view it in. And maybe a private tour guide. (I don’t have any pictures because they are forbidden, and besides my photography skills couldn’t do justice to it all. Just google it.)
So after the Sistine Chapel, we took a short break out in St. Peter’s Square, then headed inside St. Peter’s Basilica. To say it is beautiful inside is an understatement. It really is so amazing.
A few more pictures, then we headed back toward our hotel. I really loved visiting the Vatican on both of my trips in Rome. You don’t have to be Catholic to appreciate it.
Andrea Unplugged 
HOW MUCH do you love Rick Steves? i make all my friends get his books or download his podcasts if they’re going to europe 🙂
i really enjoyed the vatican (as a VERY noncatholic) as well. st peter’s is stunning!
I loved the Rick Steves stuff, but some of his jokes were a little hokey (sp?). I also listened to portions of the podcast on the Pantheon too. I like that its kind of like a guidebook in audio format, you can flip through the sections if you want. In all honesty, I could have used the podcasts much more than I did.