The Vatican & Rome

Breakfast this morning was served on the great sun terrace of our central Rome hotel on a sunny but cool morning. From our hotel we rode the metro across the Tiber River to the Vatican to rendezvous with our local guide Stuart. We spent the entire morning touring the Vatican, beginning with the Vatican Museum's incredible art collection & continuing on to the Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica. Back at the hotel the group split into smaller groups to spend the afternoon relaxing, exploring Rome at leisure, or traveling out to the Appian Way & the Catacombs. Later we rode the city bus to Rome's "Centro Storico" (historic center) where we enjoyed a great dinner of many courses in an small, atmospheric restaurant. Finally we strolled through the small streets of the center, stopping for gelato on the way (there's always room for gelato!), on our way to the famous Spanish Steps. And then 'home' to our hotel.