Today we head for Rome! It is a 4 hour drive, but we will have a rest stop along the way. We did not have Jean as a driver today because he had a mandated day off, so we were on an Italian tour bus. It was very comfortable and I found myself dozing off on the ride. We passed sunflower fields and medieval hilltop towns. We arrived in Rome at Piazza Republica at 12:15 pm. There was a beautiful fountain in the square, but it was not running. We went to Hotel Aberdeen and were able to check in right away. We had free time so I walked down Via Settembre to photograph the Four Fountains. There were police everywhere because Vladimir Putin was visiting the Pope today! I got back in time for our 1:45 departure to the Metro line with Jody and got off at Ottaviano. We walked to the Vatican Museum and met our local guide, Marta. The museum was terribly crowded. We walked through the sculpture gallery and saw the tapestry hall and map hall. Then we were given 30 minutes in the Sistine Chapel which was also very crowded. Then we entered St. Peter's Basilica. Marta spoke to us briefly, then we were on our own for an hour to explore. There was a mass at 5:30 so part of the church was blocked off for a time. We met Jody at 6:15 and she gave us money for taxis to take us to Piazza Navona where we would get dinner on our own, then meet Jody for a walking tour of Rome. We saw Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps, then took the metro back to our hotel stop. It was 10:00 pm by the time we got back.

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