Following the Sunflower (Day 2 in Rome)

The morning came very early as our bodies have continued to adjust to the new time. We woke up to enjoy breakfast and coffee before we began a day full of places to see. We met our guide for the day Cynthia (pronounced chin-sia). The lovely Italian woman began our tour with the smallest country in the world, the Vatican City. As we stood outside the walls, we were given headsets with a earpiece to hear her wherever we went. We were told to "Always follow the sunflower, and mama will take care of you." (the sunflower rested on top of an extended car antenna for easy sight). As we entered the museums we followed crowds of people through halls filled with statues and incredible tapestries that were hundreds of years old. After a long hall of maps painted on the walls so the pope would be able to view his territory, we came to the famous Sistine Chapel. We were not allowed to take any photographs or video but we snuck in a few anyway (when in Rome!). We went on to see the Basilica and stood in awe and amazement of the magnificant structure. The walls were filled with statues and paintings and the ceilings were 150 feet in the air. We also passed by the tomb of Peter and the place where the Pope holds mass for the Roman people at Christmas time. Meeting up with our busdriver, we were off to the original city of Rome and the Colosseum. It was very warm outside and we walked by many structures that were still standing after many years and generations. We ended our tour with a walk through the roman forum and a bus ride through the rest of the city. We went to lunch at a small cafe around the corner with a Married couple from Philadelphia. We have also met people from Tennessee, Canada, California, and Australia. We are having a blast and after 190 pictures, we are ready to begin the second half of our day. Ciao!