We were able to get into the weekly Wednesday Papal Audience. This is basically an opportunity for people to see the Pope and for him to speak about some scripture readings. It involved many languages and introductions of various groups in the audience. Stevi and I were in some seating close to the front because we got special newlywed tickets. Overall it was a great experience.
Afterwards, we toured St. Peters Basilica. It was pretty amazing with many things to see including the incorrupt body of Pope John XXIII, the JPII tomb, and the crypt underneath that contains the tombs of many saints and former popes.
After that, we attempted to collect our gifts for being part of the newlyweds section—rosaries blessed by the Pope. After speaking with a guard, we approached some large bronze doors that were guarded by the Swiss Guards. They told us that the office was closed and we had to come back the next day. All the while a bunch of tourists were taking our photos as we talked to them. So we moved on to the Vatican Museum, where we saw some famous art, including the Sistine Chapel and Raphael's Rooms.
The following day we came back for our rosaries, which went well. Over the next couple days we moved hotels from the one on Rasella Street (which was the site of a bombing in WWII), to a little further out of town for a better deal since we had seen the big sights. We decided to spend the last couple days in Italy just in Rome while we planned out hotels and tours for Thailand. We made sure to get some final pasta dishes, gelato and Stevi’s favorite cream-filled croissants.
We had a 10.5 hour flight to Beijing, which didn’t seem long at all, surprisingly. Then a 6 hour layover where we had some authentic Chinese airport food, then a 6 hour flight to Phuket, Thailand. This flight was empty, so we each had our own row to lay on. So now were here enjoying the beaches and how cheap everything is.
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