Today was our last day of class at the university. We spent the class discussing the role of women in different countries around the world. We looked at the beautiful view out of the classroom windows for the last time, and we headed back to the hotel.

We would not be starting our tour until the evening, so we spent the afternoon shopping. I got the bulk of my gifts for my relatives during this shopping trip.

We spent the evening at the Vatican museum. It was huge. The first few rooms were filled with Roman sculptures. There were even statues of sphinxes from Egypt. Between the Egyptian sculptures and the obelisks all over the city, it is clear that Egypt was a topic of interest in Rome. In addition to the sculptures, there were Christian paintings and tapestries in the museum too. It was interesting to see art from so many different cultures and time periods. It is amazing how so many different cultures are actually encompassed by the Roman culture.

The last stop in the Vatican museum is the Sistine Chapel. The paintings in the chapel are my favorite paintings so far on this trip. I like how stories are depicted on the ceiling such as Adam and Eve, and even lesser known stories like The Drunkenness of Noah. The painting at the front of the church is very interesting too. It shows the earth, Heaven, and Hell. I liked the story about how the critic of Michelangelo was depicted in the bottom corner descending to Hell. When he complained to the Pope, Clement VII, who in the painting was depicted high up in heaven, he told the critic that according to the painting, Hell was out of his jurisdiction, and he could not do anything about it.

The tour ended late, so after more gelato, we went back to our rooms for the night.