I'm making my way through these pictures slowly but surely!

First up on Rome Day 2 was the Vatican Museum. It took us three hours to walk through it, and we felt like we weren't giving everything the time it deserved. We rented the audio guide and got so much more out of it that way than we would have on our own.

Of course, the major site is the Sistine Chapel, but no photography is allowed in there. What an amazing experience it was to be in that room; the ceiling was, of course, breathtaking, as was "The Last Judgment." The Raphael Rooms were another favorite of ours. (Look for the sign in the collage below to indicate those 3 pics.)

After the Vatican we trekked to Bonci Pizzarium for some amazing pizza. This was a place we heard about on the Travel Channel's "The Layover: Rome" w/ Anthony Bourdain. (I can't stand that guy, but the show did give a few helpful tips including the great review of this place!) I loved that they cut the slices with scissors. Creative combos, fresh ingredients...YUM.

After lunch we walked back around the Vatican to St. Peter's Basilica. Michelangelo's "Pieta" was my favorite thing there.

We were so tired of all the walking that Nick consented to take a taxi over to the Parthenon. It was closed, though, so I just took a couple of shots of the exterior. After that we rounded the corner to Giolitti to get our first gelato of the trip. (It was freezing outside, but you have to get gelato in Italy. Am I right??)

We used a ton of the Hilton points Nick has accrued for a night at the Waldorf. What a treat! The Rome view was amazing, and they upgraded us to have Imperial Club access, where they had free drinks and food. The first thing I did was take a LONG soak in that amazing tub to get the chill out of my bones! Normally I'm grossed out by hotel bathtubs, but I felt like if any hotel kept their tubs clean, it was probably the Waldorf. At least, that's what I told myself. :)

Florence is next!

so far... Europe by Instagram, Paris Day 1, Paris Day 2, Rome Day 1