The Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel

Early morning before finals week started I figured it was time to go and see the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. As soon as I went I discovered that not only me but thousands of tourists were also there because there was a papal audience that day making it nearly impossible to get anywhere. But at long last I did get into the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. Also, when I went to pay the nice man at the ticket counter let me go in for only 8 euro instead of the full 16!

The day was absolutely gorgeous and the streets were filled with beauty, the above picture is the Tiber River while the one to the right is just a random street with a vespa and pizzeria.

Another view along the Tiber

Inside the Vatican Museum there were lots and lots of paintings and gifts from artists or painters or wealthy people that were given to various popes throughout the years. The ceiling in the museum was even very intricately decorated.

One of the various paintings

This is one of Jesus ascending into Heaven

This was not a painting but a tapestry, the detail on the clothes was fantastic 

Although I went inside the Sistine chapel I did not get a photo of the famous paintings that were in there. It was apparently forbidden, and I was so close to trying but there were so many people and the people who took pictures got caught and kicked out by the angry Italian guardsmen. But what was cool about the Sistine chapel is that everything in there looked life like and 3D. The curtains looked real on the side walls if you were to look at them at the right angle. The ceiling was very intricate and their were an abundance of people all over the place with clothes that looked like real gold robes and satin and silk.

View of the basilica from inside 

The Map room in the museum

One of the very detailed paintings in the museum, although I am not sure what it was doing there

The Madonna and Child stain glass gift to the pope

A picture or painting of the Vatican in the museum