The Vatican - part 1

Our last day in Rome involved two big tours.

The first tour was in the morning at The Vatican.

It was arranged by the amazing concierge at our hotel who gave us precise details about where to meet our tour group.

Unfortunately it was the same location that just about every tour company in Rome used to meet their groups.

The ensuing chaos cannot be described.

Suffice to say our guide and ourselves only just found each other in time before we had to leave for the tour.

Our guide was a gorgeous Italian woman who had that secret of looking casual but glamorous and didn't seem to break a sweat despite the 40 degree Celsius heat that had already melted my attempt at looking casually chic. 

She was also rather short in stature and we were worried we would lose her in a crowd that made Versailles look like an abandoned park.

But she was super quick and whizzed us through the entrance and security and into some open spaces where she gave us a very brief (but still highly informative - I just wish I could remember it) history of the Vatican.

She also explained that due to the immense crowds, that photo taking will be difficult, but she will try to find us places for photo opportunities of the more famous artworks.  

The Vatican is it's own state with it own postal service and radio and television stations.

 The crowds don't look too bad here..........

Oh, wait.............

 Photos from this point were of the holding-camera-above-head-and-clicking-as-I-go variety.

To be continued...........

 The Vatican, Rome - July 2015