Again the weather has been just excellent and we had breakfast quite excited as to the prospects of today’s tour booked through Viator.

We departed the hotel following breakfast on th3 first shuttle, which again dropped us off at the entrance to the Vatican City, where we were greeted by several of the many ticket sellers, but we had made an excellent decision to book through Viator ahead of the visit. We were advised to report to the area beside the stairs near the Vatican Museum. Our tour was scheduled to commence at 10.00am but we were Marshalled into our groups by 9.35am and departed at 9.40am.

Now whilst there is a cost in skipping the long queues, believe me when I say it was absolutely necessary and we wizzed through the whole security section in about 10minutes and were walking through the first areas by 10.00am. Our guide was an exuberant and passionate middle aged, senior lecturer in history, who takes tours as an add on. She was informative and worked hard over the next 3 and 1/2 hours to give us an insight into the history and both the catholic framework but also the fundamental influence of the Vatican and the role of the respective Popes throughout modern civilisation from the time AD and post the Roman Empire.

The wealth and riches in materialistic assets as well as intellectual control has been fundamentally significant in the preservation of the leadership of the Roman Catholicism throughout so many areas of the geopolitical landscape.

But we also are amazed at the a cumulative value of the leading artists and mathematicians and theological leaders who have worked within the Vatican.

Of course, the influence of Plato, Archimedes, Aristotle, Michelangelo, Raffael, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci are only the highest profile art and other leaders who have played an intrinsic role in global and Roman life through their art and intellectual qualities.

We walk for almost 3 hours through the various galleries, each level and approach from sculptures, through to rugs and then ridiculously expensive paintings, all serve to depict the influence, wealth and accumulated wealth in every sense of the Vatican and The Roman Catholicism. It is hard to deny the significance and influence of the Church and their leaders from Popes to Archbishops is all countries where they have built influence and communities.

we have walked up and down ornate stairs and into various ante rooms and galleries depicting everything from statues, to large wall hangings, to art of every dimension. The wealth and beauty displayed is staggering appreciating that this is only a small representative sample of the immense collection.

But nothing could prepare us for the 3 ante rooms painted and decorated by Raffael before we enter the stairs and ante room of the Sistine Chappell. This is our a Third visit to the Vatican City and to the Sistine Chappell . On the first occasion, it was dark and grim with smoke stains of several hundred years staining and discoloured the ceiling and walls. Our second occasion was during the cleaning and restoration period , when it was extensively shrouded in covers , whilst cleaning and restoration was undertaken, with a promise that Michaelangelo’s work would be presented in all of its glory.

Suffice to say that the restoration has delivered unbelievable artistic brilliance which matches everything predicted. It is a stunning ceiling of. Classical art. The walls similarly portrait all of the Popes from that period as well as other wonderful symbols.

Attached are several photos from th3 ante rooms painted by Raffael. Simply amazing.

From here we conclude our tour of the Vatican, simply amazing and the wealth is staggering almost embarrassing.

Our next stop is the Basilica of St Peters, th3 largest church in the world. We have been through this amazing building on at least 5 occasions, bu5 never get sick of it or fails to appr3viate the scale, dominant architecture, the mammoth internal domes, the gold and tiled influence. But most of all the scale and again the wealth of the presentation.

We walk through the grounds out into the forecourt with the columns and shaped arms reaching out to its people.

Simply an amazing 4-5 hours touring the Vatican, then the Basilica, followed by th3 forecourt.

Our photos are brilliant but don’t do it justice.

We then have lunch of a Panini each plus a drink.

Jeanette and Ken are too tired to do anything more. We do go to catch a cab. We get in and ask the cost Euro 38. But will come down to Euro35. We get out but they want to negotiate and we are down to Euro 25. But we walk away.

We continue to another rank of official cabs with metered charges, not fixed price. We jump in and our driver like Sterling Moss or Andretti, drives a manual one hand, changing gears whilst talking on his phone, but gets us to the Hotel with meter showing Euro 11.80 and we tip him €2.50. A great result.

Ken goes out to collect his laundry of 7 shirts and returns with it all beautifully washed, ironed and packed in plastic bags all for €21. We have had a wonderful stay in Rome, yesterday with the Hop on Hop off and today with the tour. All worked wonderfully.

Dinner tonight is our special dinner here at A.Roma Hotel. It is an around the world dinner. They have 10 different cooking stations from around the world with chefs presenting quisene from 10 different countries.

Tomorrow we are picked up by Blacklane transferred to Termini, then we travel in Business class Francorossi from Rome to Venice St Lucia. We arrive around 2.00pm and are transferred by the motor launch to San Clemente Island and the Kempinski Hotel for 3 days in Venice.