Roma

Newark
We made it back to the U.S. without any real troubles. We're waiting in Newark now.  After a very short night last night, getting more sleep on the plane might have been smart. But sleep didn't come too easily on a plane in the middle of the day....

Considering the wonder and grandeur of the other churches and basilicas we'd already visited, we thought we might be jaded with St. Peter's. No need for concern on that front!  We were filled with awe and reverence.
Just when you think a few more sculptures and paintings collected inside a building made of thousands of cubic yards of marble can't really be much different from the last, well.......

The scavi tour, or excavation tour, was the one thing that everyone who had experienced it before agreed on. It was our must-have ticket around which the rest of our schedule was arranged.
The ticket made it clear we'd have to check Don's camera to take the tour. We didn't hesitate to make a few purchases at the Vatican gift shop before the tour since we knew we'd leave them with the camera. The problem was the line for security and checking...

We are on our way back to the airport. We still have much more we want to record here. And we will. But this morning we must bid farewell to Roma.
We've had a fabulous trip and we'd like to return someday. There are some churches yet to see, as well as other cities and sites in Italia....