As I walk into the Vatican Museum, I was expecting to see only one great piece of artwork which is the Sistine Chapel. What a surprise  that was bestowed upon me as I was searching for this one particular famous work of art! First off, the sphere within sphere sculpture by artist Arnaldo Pomodoro is a more modern piece of work that got my brain warmed up for the onslaught that followed. I viewed Arnaldo's sculpture as a foreboding piece of future events. The mechanical designs within the spherical shapes present a tale of inner destruction within, what I viewed as, two worlds colliding. I had no idea that almost every room within this place was teeming with so much artwork!

The Basilica is overwhelmingly ornate! On the outside, there's statues lining the top, which is awesome to see, but a shame not to be able to observe up close. Going inside, I felt an immense surge of epic proportions! Everywhere I looked, my eyes were flooded with all kinds of artwork! Sculptures, statues, and designs covered every square inch of this place. It was a great deal to absorb in such a small amount of time. I can't imagine attending a service and not being distracted by such a large amount of historical artwork.

I was trying to remember what the Gaurds at the Basilica were called earlier but couldn't think of it while I was there! The Swiss Gaurds make up the smallest army in the world....and yes, they are all Swiss! I wouldn't want to mess with these guys because they are highly trained. I was wondering why the obelisk looked Egyptian, and that's because it was taken from Egypt! The Vatican City is actually a city-state consisting of about 600 citizens that live abroad. Researching the history of the Vatican makes it seem a little less holy moly and more like a type of empire!

Up early and ready to start the day. Had a ham and cheese sandwich and eggs for breakfast which was pretty tasty. Heading to Vatican City and I am pumped to see the Sistine Chapel. I can't wait to see all the other amazing works of art that are spread about!

The food here has been AMAZING! The food tastes so fresh and it's prepared when ordered! It's no wonder people flock here and vist the restorantes! I'm also a big fan of cheese, and the types of cheese used here in Roma are absolutely wonderful!

The churches that I have visited today are gorgeous! The designs and paintings are so elaborate and beautiful! The detail and amount of work put into these buildings is astonishing! The artistic value of these huge churches is priceless! The artwork and architecture really strike an emotional nerve. It would be no surprise to see how faithful and devoted the members of these churches are because the the amount of artwork could make anyone a believer!

The ride on the plane was long and uncomfortable, but whatever gets me there is alright I guess. Wow! What a great first day in Roma! The massive structures and sculptures are breathtaking! Seeing the Colloseum really made me imagine what it could have been like centuries ago when everyone in the city gathered to watch a potentially fatal spectacle! I've learned a great deal about customs and traditions in the Marine Corps, but Roman history dates back a lot further. It's hard to imagine growing up in a city so rich in history! I'm going to have to do a lot of research because I'm trying to figure out how some of these sculptures were made and placed where they're at! This is such an amazing experience, yet there is still so much to see!