Went to Vatican today and I had high expectations since I have read so much about it especially in Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons.  I could only say that I was not disappointed at all.  We joined a tour and skipped all the long queues and started in the Musuem Vatican.  It’s good to have a tour guide who can explained the background and taking us to the most important works.

What I found to be most impressive is the gallery of maps.  Not so much about the maps but really the ceiling which was filled with gold and artistic works.  Paintings by Raphael were very impressive and my favorite got to be The School of Athens or “Scuola di Atene” in Italian. 

The tour ended with a visit to the St. Peter’s Basilica and it was magnificent.  Once you have been here all other churches seemed so insignificant.  There were some sun rays when we went there passing through the top, making it even more attractive.  After the tour we planned to go to a recommended restaurant nearby but too bad it wont be opened until 8 pm.  Feeling tired, we went back to the hotel and had dinner nearby.