Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City, shot from the top of the Basilica dome (with my cellphone even). This is literally the highest spot in Rome – nothing can be taller than this church, and it is a pretty brutal climb to get there. I think like 300 steps for me because I paid $2 extra for an elevator ride past the first 200 steps. Hey, don’t judge me – I hadn’t even had coffee yet. Haha. The square looks SO empty because I took a special tour that started at 7:20 am. Expensive but worth it, mostly because I was with about 10 other people in the Sistine Chapel. By 9 am, it was jammed with hundreds and there was a line several blocks long to get in. Yeowza. BTW, this climb up to the top of the Basilica is not for the claustrophobic or the out of shape – it is brutal and through some VERY tight spaces. At one point, you have to go up a spiral staircase so small that there is a hanging rope for balance because there is nothing else to grab onto. 😳 Lets just say it was an adventure and this attraction would not be open in the United States. LOL
