April 4, 2019 - Italy - Vatican and Gellateria della Palma


It is almost 9am and fully-daylight, but the girls are still passed out.


We walk about a mile to Castel Sant' Angelo


then meet our guide and go straight into the Vatican (bypassing easily half-day queues).


We pop out with a view of the back of St. Peters before the rain starts.


Back inside, we continue the tour under constantly-decorated cielings, walls,


statues, sculptures, etc.


I love the map room, of course.


The girls fill out their scavanger hunt cards anywhere they can find a place to write or draw.


We spend some time in the Sistine, but we took no pictures. This picture of something completely different (and unknown to me) will have to suffice.


Inside St Peters, we first stop at the Pieta.


Then the very memorable bronze alter.


Ella likes the dark, heavy marble.



She does not appear to appreciate rubbing a foot for good luck.


Not something you see every day... Swiss ponchos.



We pass back through Piazza Navona


and visit Saint Agnes in Agony.


Since it is so close to our place, we go back into the Pantheon to see the rain through the oculus.


After a great dinner (and getting caught in a torrential downpour - a rare Roman thunderstorm), we hit the true highlight of the day... a gelateria with at least 60 flavors.
(They count over 100. Maybe they rotate.)
After our meeting with Massimo, Jill now eats gelato like a Roman.


Paul and Carmala take the decision very seriously.


So many choices.


I guess Jill was happy with her cone!