***The Dome Atop St. Peter’s Basilica***

***View of Inside of St. Peter’s Basilica from Atop of The Dome***

***View of Outside of St. Peter’s Basilica from Atop of The Dome***

Today was a whirlwind!
We walked from our place to the inside of Vatican City.
Went into St. Peter’s Basilica and on a whim decided to pay 20 Euros extra to go to the top of the Dome.
Then we climbed 24 flights of stairs to get there! It was intense. Great pics though!
When we exited it was 10 minutes till noon and people were gathered all around St. Peter’s Square, looking in the same direction. When I asked a security guard what was going on he said that the Pope was about to address the crowd! We had no idea.
Then, at 12 on the dot the Pope Francis appeared in the window (pictured above), the crowd cheered, and he proceeded to give a 10-minute talk (in Italian) as thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square looked on. It was surreal! What a moment for Rebekah and I to enjoy together!
We then ate lunch at a great restaurant just outside Vatican City. I had another Diavola pizza and lasagna. Rebekah had fried shrimp and calamari. Once again, we experienced the unique, fresh, tasty crust of Roman pizza!
After lunch is started pouring rain. We waited it out and then proceeded to walk all around Rome to hit up many of the historic sites — Piazza Venezia, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and we even accidentally came across the Quirinal Palace ( the President of Italy’s residence). Seeing all these historic sites was also pretty surreal.
Then, we went shopping. Again. Rebekah and I love shopping!
We concluded our day with some decent sushi at a Japanese restaurant.
We took Uber home again. Clutch. Again.
Great day in Rome. I love the unplanned nature of how we explore each city.