Day 2 in Rome

 Once again, I am going to make my post short and let the photos speak for themselves.  The day began with a trip on the Metro to the Vatican museum.  Once again we had a local guide to help bring the exhibits to life for us.  The pictures I am posting are of paintings by Raphael.  The use of the vivid colors and the awesome detail were really something to behold.  Even after centuries, the colors really stood out.  The other photo is of the outside of St. Peter's Basillica which is where we ended our guided tour.  We also toured the Sistine Chapel, but unfortunately I couldn't take pictures there.   It was another awe-inspiring sight.  The prospect of making such a large "canvas" come to life the way Michelangelo did just astounds me.  Everything was so proportionally correct that I couldn't help but wonder "how did he do that"?  I have a reborn respect for the ancient Romans and their art and culture as a result of this trip.

Signing off now because I need to be up early for the journey to the Cinque Terre (Italian Riviera). The bus ride is supposed to be about 7 hours, and I hope to recuperate a bit from a couple of tough days of lots of walking and steps.  I have big plans for the day after tomorrow, hiking and photography in the Cinque Terre.  Arrivederci!