From New Orleans to Greece – Part 2

From New Orleans to Greece Continues.  If you haven't checked out Part 1, see it here.

 

Vatican City

As we crossed the Tiber River, we immediately saw the large fortifications that surround Vatican City and followed the steady line of tourists to the Vatican Museum.

 

Above: Vatican Museum

 

We ohh-ed and ahh-ed our way through the Vatican’s collections standing awestruck within the Sistine Chapel, gazing up at Michelangelo’s incredible frescas.

 

Above: Vatican Museum

 

Above: Vatican Museum – there was beautiful artwork like this throughout the entire museum

 

After viewing just a slight portion of all that the Vatican Museum has to offer, we made our way towards St. Peter’s Basilica, only to find the line wrapping around St. Peter’s Square with several hours of waiting before we could enter.  So, we decided to detour to Castel Saint’Angelo for a few hours, until the lines died down, and we were able to enter St. Peter’s Basilica within a matter a minutes.  St. Peter’s was stunning, a marvel of engineering and architecture.

 

Above: St Peter's Square

 

Above: St Peter's Basilica

 

Above: Michelangelo’s Pietá, St Peter’s Basilica

 

Dubronvik

We arrived early in the morning to Dubrovnik, one of the most beautiful places we visited on our trip.  We were literally bouncing with excitement, as we embarked on our first adventure.  Upon meeting our tour group, we traveled via bus to the old city of Dubrovnik.  A World Heritage site with gorgeous architecture, winding streets, and incredible history, the city was breathe-taking.

 

Above: Franjo Tuđman Bridge in Dubrovnik

 

The city of Durbrovnik was shelled by Serbian forces in 1991 and the entire city still bears the scars of that conflict.

 

Above: City Center of Dubrovnik

 

Above: Street view of Dubrovnik

 

Above: Belfry in Dubrovnik

 

We took a short bus ride out of Dubrovnik to the picturesque fishing village of Cavat which has some of the most beautiful water you'll ever see.

 

Above: Aerial shot of Dubrovnik on our way to Cavat

 

Above: Fishing boats in Cavat

 

After leaving there, we had lunch at a fig and olive oil farm and mill, where we enjoyed homemade brandy shots, homemade Croatian sausage, music from a Serbian band, and some sort of fig desert.

 

Above: Fig desert

 

Above: View of Dubrovnik's Harbor

 

That's it for Vatican City and Dubrovnik. Check back next week when we visit Corfu, Greece and Olympia, Greece.

 

 

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