We had training in Saturday morning with EF Tours. I woke up exhausted, but luckily after a quick-lunch and a trip to the Vatican – I was energized! It was probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

For lunch we went to Tradizione & Fantasia; it was near where we were supposed to meet our group, and we saw some other teachers inside eating pizza.

I wish I would have made a better selection. The eggplant, spinach, and zucchini dish sautéed with olive oil and garlic was yummy; if I would have had three plates of them, I might have been full.

I ordered a gluten-free pasta with mushrooms – since the mushrooms the day before were so delicious. Well, 25 minutes later, the waitress informed me that the pasta had eggs. Boo. So she recommended the sea food salad. It was not my cup of tea. The salad itself was delicious, but cold octopus, fish, squid, and musels made me want to gag. Blah. This is what I got for being adventurous, and trying to avoid getting sick. Nevertheless, I picked out the seafood, put on some DiGize (it is a must for traveling!), and headed to the Vatican. Soon after I felt better, and I forgot about that nasty cold seafood on my plate.

Although I’m Christian, I’m not Catholic, and I didn’t think that I would have loved the Vatican as much as I did. I stood staring at the beautiful marble statues, artifacts, history, gold tapestries, architecture, and paintings for 4 hours. I was always the last one behind the group.

Threads of gold

I can’t explain the awe that I felt in the Sistine Chappel, and a deep respect for Michelangelo – not only for his incredible talent, but also for the physical suffering that he must have endured in his body (especially his neck and back) for his faith and passion for art. He really earned his reputation. How did he paint 399 people in that ceiling in only 4 years? Just insane. I don’t have any images of it, because photos aren’t allowed.

From the Sistine Chappel, we moved outside and then went into St. Peter’s Basilica.

After our tour, we went to the Vatican Shops, and I picked up a Papa Fransisco (Pope Francis) card and coin for my sweet friend. She has a picture of the Pope in her Spanish classroom; once a student asked her about the photo – and she replied, “It’s culture! He’s Argentine!” I also got a little necklace for my daughter; hopefully she likes it.

For dinner we explored on our own, and came across Vitti. I loved the decor – reminded me of a typical European movie. The waiters were sweet and so accommodating with my allergies. I asked what was the safest thing for me to eat – and he said steak is the only thing they guarantee to be safe and not cross-contaminated. Done. Here’s my take – these carrots were steamed and plain, but I know how to add salt. The salad was good (I love how Italians do natural olive and vinegar instead of our processed dressing); the steak was very filling, a little fatty, but sometimes that gives meat more flavor. I was starving. Presentation was a lacking…

I wish I could have tried some of the desserts. One was a cheesecake with apples at the base and raspberries on top. I might try to steal their idea and make them dairy, egg, and gluten free!

After the dinner we explored the city; we checked out little stores with beautiful purses and shoes, and ordered gelato. I have to say Wonderful Ice Cream lived up to its name. Since I was torn between both the dark chocolate and the mango – I got both. A medium was not enough; I should have gotten a large. It was amazing!

While walking the streets on the way to the Piazza Popolo, we met some other teachers from our Tour Group. They were eating gelato as well. The guys in the shop were telling me that their gelato was better than Wonderful Ice Cream’s. So they had me do a taste test with their dark chocolate. I have to say, Wonderful Ice Cream won. Sorry. Although, I couldn’t have the candy bar ones…

That night Carmen and I came together in solidarity to relax; I turned on 10 hours of relaxing rain sounds from YouTube to block out any snoring (sometimes I talk too in my sleep) and put a couple drops of Cedarwood on my feet. We also applied some Cypress and Panaway to our low-back and neck. (If you haven’t tried these oils, message me, and I will show you what you are missing! They are a must have for traveling!) The discomfort from looking up at the Vatican’s ceilings was worth it though. When Michelangelo painted ceilings, you will take the back tightness gladly that comes after a half a day at the Vatican of staring upwards.

However, I would have splurged for a decent bed if I had been given the opportunity to do so; they were sooooo hard. Would you rather have a mattress that’s too hard or sagging in the middle? Decisions decisions… Let’s just say it wasn’t a Marriott.

In the end, whatever we did – it worked too well. We overslept, and missed an hour of our Sunday morning meeting! Agh!!!! It made me think of what we called the “walk of shame” back at Ole Miss – watching college girls walk down fraternity row at 9 am on a Sunday in their clothes from the night before. I felt awful, doing my “walk of shame” into that meeting, but at the same time I was very rested. Lesson learned – maybe I don’t need the rain noise up that loud!