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We had timed tickets for the Vatican today. We had booked online this time as the last time we were here we queued for about 3 hours before we made it in. We got the Metro from Termini getting off at Ottaviano and then followed the crowds through the maze of people selling tickets and souvenirs to passing tourists. Signs were a little hard to come by but we found the way fairly readily. Arrived to find no queue at all much to our disappointment as everybody seemed to be part of a tour group or pre-booked like us. I was feeling quite warm having worn trousers today having seen the dress code on the Vatican website. As it happened they didn't appear to be enforcing it, but better to be safe than sorry.

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We didn't opt for audio guides this time deciding to wing it instead. We began by following signs for the short itinerary which lasted about 3 hours taking us through a range of Egyptian and Italian exhibits featuring sculptures, tapestries and rooms decorated with incredibly detailed painted ceilings and mosaic floors. It also included amongst other things, a suite of rooms decorated by Raphaelle and his contemporaries. It was all quite breathtaking, culminating in the Sistine chapel. 

After the initial tour we stopped for a break in the pizzeria before heading out to explore the terrace gardens. One of the gardens featured a rotating sphere within a sphere created by the Italian artist Arnoldo Pomodorowho who has similar pieces in many cities worldwide. From here we went to the picture gallery which thankfully had some air-conditioning and amongst other things featured some nice Bellini statues and a picture by Leonardo da Vinci. We stopped off at the bookshop to buy a guide book before calling it a day and heading back to the hotel. Later in the evening we went to the local restaurant Meid in Napols where we had the nicest meal yet. We highly recommend a visit, its not far from Termini, about a 2 minute walk. Arrived back at the hotel feeling stuffed!

We decided to spend the day exploring a bit more of Quebec today. We were up quite a bit later so grabbed some lunch at Subway which is just around the corner, and then headed into the old town. We started up hill, and found some steps that take you up a bit quicker and after a few more steps we found ourselves on the Terrasse Dufferin which is a wooden boardwalk that wraps around the Château Frontenac which is a grand 19th century hotel. We spent quite a bit of time walking along the boardwalk, stopping on benches intermittently and taking photos of the hotel and view across the Lawrence river. The boardwalk continues quite a way beyond the city walls, eventually becoming steps that lead up to the citadelle at the very top of the hill. 

We walked all the way to the top taking in the views back across the city and the surrounding areas. We had an ice-cream, that quickly melted (halfway down my arm) so I ate it in record time before it made too much of a mess. We continued on, reaching the citadelle, which is still an active military base and home to the 22nd Regitment and official residence of the Givenor General and should she wish to use it, the Queen. You can get tickets to tour inside the residency or around the military base, with either giving you access to the museum. We opted for the tour of the base, and were taking around by Anthony who as it turned out was a teacher on his school holidays. He was really knowlegable and gave us a brief history of the regiment and took us around many of the key buildings - stopping in the shade where posible as it was really hot. One of the stops on the tour was the Kings Bastion which offers some of the best views across Quebec and a great place for photos.

After the tour, we had a walk through the museum which had some really intesting exhibits including a medals room with several examples of the Victoria Cross awarded to members of the 22nd Regiment. Finally leaving the citadelle, we headed back down the hill into the old town, stopping back at the hotel before heading out for tea. We decided to try the hotel restaurant (restaurant Louise) for tea. I had fish and chips, whilst Dani had sausage and black pudding, again very nice. We finished the evening back up on the Terrasse Dufferin, taking a few night photos before calling it a night.

It's official. We're all booked up for a big Japanese adventure. Two more weeks of school and then we're off, so keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks for all the updates and photo's. We're visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka and Hakone. If you have any tips for must see sights or other recommendations just put a comment in below.