With a little bit of good luck we ended up spending our first day in Italy at holy mass with Pope Francis and Andrea Bocelli in St. Peter’s Square! We followed that with a busy few days visiting all the amazing historic sights around Rome including: the Colosseum, the Vatican Museum, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. We loved Rome so much… except for the bed bugs. :(

Photos taken with a Canon 5D Mark III.

The Vatican City

The Vatican City

Sunday mass at the Vatican City

Sunday mass at the Vatican City

Sunday mass at the Vatican City

Sunday mass at the Vatican City

Sunday mass at the Vatican City

Sunday mass at the Vatican City

Pope Francis greets a crowd from the Pope Mobile after Sunday mass at the Vatican City

Pope Francis greets a crowd from the Pope Mobile after Sunday mass at the Vatican City

Pope Francis greets a crowd from the Pope Mobile after Sunday mass at the Vatican City

Pope Francis greets a crowd from the Pope Mobile after Sunday mass at the Vatican City

Britnee and her gelato in Rome, Italy

Britnee and her gelato in Rome, Italy

Looking to the Vatican City at sunset in Rome, Italy

Looking to the Vatican City at sunset in Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

The Pantheon in Rome, Italy

The Pantheon in Rome, Italy

The Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum

Inside St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City

Inside St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City

Inside St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City

Inside St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City

Inside St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City

Inside St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City

Inside St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City

Inside St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City

The Swiss Guard at the Vatican City

The Swiss Guard at the Vatican City

The Vatican City

The Vatican City

The Vatican City

The Vatican City

Finally got a photo together at the Vatican City

Finally got a photo together at the Vatican City

Not a bad view from our hostel room in Rome, Italy

Not a bad view from our hostel room in Rome, Italy

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

Bad tourist climbing on the ruins inside the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. Must have missed the sign.

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

Chaco sandals on Roman ruins in Rome, Italy

Chaco sandals on Roman ruins in Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

The Spanish Steps, Rome, Italy

The Spanish Steps, Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

The Vatican City

The Vatican City

Next photo gallery: Greece.

About The Author

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Mark quit everything to travel the world for a year with his wife, Britnee. Along the way, he picked up a love for many other things, including illy coffee, Nepal, Bolivianos bills, and Thai beaches. Now happily home in Utah, Mark is a balding marketing professional with a mountain biking addiction.

4 Responses

  1. Heidi

    You guys got bed bugs? Just bitten, or did they come with you? Those are the worst. I met with a bunch in my hostel in Prague. It’s pretty much the reason I hate Prague.

    • Mark Johnston

      Not just bitten, eaten alive! And they were scary huge. We took immediate action upon arriving in our next hostel–having bagged all our clothing we took it right to the laundromat. Doesn’t seem like we’ve been followed thankfully.