Day 3: Climbing the 551 steps to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica

Tuesday was the designated day to climb all 551 steps to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica. There was a lot of talk about it and I didn’t think it would be that hard. Boy, was I wrong. The first couple hundred steps were pretty easy, but soon after they started becoming progressively skinnier and the amount of air flow was also decreasing. At one point the wall was tilted inward and we all leaned as we climbed. However, once we reached the top, we all realized that is was more than worth it. Everyone could walk around the top of the basilica, giving us a complete view of all of Rome. I’ve probably never been so high  up in my entire life, but I’ve also never seen such an amazing sight.

After the basilica, we toured an ancient castle in Rome. It was amazing to see what a real castle was like. It’s not like a lot would have imagined – lots of stones and corridors and stairs. Although we learned that it had actually been refurbished for the Pope if he had ever wanted to stay there, which accounted for all of the rooms that were decorated in beautiful art and furniture. Of course, now it’s a museum so he wouldn’t be able to stay there these days.

Tomorrow we are supposed to visit the United Nations World Food Programme. I’m excited to learn about what they do!

Our view from the top of St. Peter's Basilica
Our view from the top of St. Peter’s Basilica