Vatican Museum Part I

The walk from my hotel in Trastevere to the Vatican was amazing! It took less than 15 minutes when I caught this view. As a non-practicing Catholic, I still got excited going to the Vatican.

I was hoping to see the Pope from this window..

If you ever want to go to the Vatican Museum, do yourself a favor and book it online in advance. The extra €4 euros charge on your credit card will be worth it! TRUST ME!

The line is very long if you don't pre-book your tickets. Who knows how long you have you wait to get in?  And I don't know how people can tolerate it in the summer.

You have to ensure that you are dressed modestly or you will be turned away. That applies to both the museum and the basilica.

Once you get inside with your online ticket booking, you still have to line up to get the "real" tickets. But it's a shorter line. Then security happens. And off you go! You are free to explore the Vatican Museum.

The Vatican Museum is massive!! You need to spend 2-3 hours inside to see all the art. Or you can spend a day just taking your time exploring this place.

Monument of Victor Emmanuel II

One of the most iconic monuments in Rome is the Victor Emmanuel II. You can't miss it even if you're not looking specifically for this building. You just somehow find these places in Rome. It is very close to Piazza Venezia. It's quite an impressive monument built by Giuseppe Sacconi in honour of Victor Emmanuel. 

It's a massive monument towering in Rome built with corinthian columns and grand statues (especially of Victor Emmanuel on a horse)! It's very grandiose and in your face structure amidst the ancient structures and ruins in Rome. You can walk around inside and outside the monument. And there is also a terrace upstairs with restaurants and cafe so you can enjoy the view. If you want to see more panoramic view of Rome, you can opt to pay to take the elevator all the way up the building (entrance is at the back of the building to take the elevator). I opted not to do this as I was quite satisfied with the view from the terrace. 

Tiber river

The Tiber is the third largest river in Italy. I stayed in Trastevere so it was mandatory to walk around and cross some of the ancient bridges that are pedestrian only to get to the other side of Rome.

The river itself is murky and full of thrash. The surrounding walls are full of grafitti and dirt. I saw joggers and cyclist along the river but not enough people come here. I wish the City of Rome can clean it up and revitalize this area. Imagine having a picnic along the river or having chairs where you can sit and just enjoy the view.

James Bond should have landed here and cleaned up the river instead of fighting his enemies.