Remember that part in Good Will Hunting when Robin Williams' character says to Matt Damon's character, "Michelangelo? You know a lot about him. But I bet you can't tell me what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel. You've never actually stood there and looked up at that beautiful ceiling."? Today, that quotation took on a whole new meaning to me. We headed into Vatican City and visited St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. It was really great to have a specialized tour guide that Trafalgar set up for us, because he literally had an answer to every question we had. Words can't describe the overwhelming feeling I got when I walked into the Sistine Chapel and saw the beauty of 'The Last Judgment'. Good Will Hunting was right -- you can never fully understand the masterpiece until you've actually stood there starting at it, smelling the incense and taking in the whole atmosphere {they are very strict about photography, so I wasn't able to snap any pics}. We also went to the Colosseum which was fabulous and only inspired me more and more. I've completely fallen for Roman architecture and how ornate and extravagant everything is. If I had to compare Rome to another city, I couldn't because it is so different. There are no modern buildings like you see in the business district of Paris or London -- everything is so old! They also don't have skyscrapers because no building in Rome can be taller than St. Peter's Basilica {fun fact from our tour guide!}. Here are just a few of the pictures I took today that really inspired me -- the lines, the detail, and the architecture in general. [caption id="attachment_5580" align="aligncenter" width="459" caption="St. Peter's Basilica {side view}"] [/caption] [caption id="attachment_5581" align="aligncenter" width="455" caption="A colourful painting on the ceiling of St. Peter's Basilica"] [/caption] [caption id="attachment_5582" align="aligncenter" width="458" caption="An entryway to St. Peter's Basilica"] [/caption] [caption id="attachment_5583" align="aligncenter" width="460" caption="Roman ruins, as seen from an archway at the Colosseum"] [/caption] Isn't it crazy to think people actually live amongst this beauty every day? xo, Lauren