Vatican sights
Vatican Square was very impressive and looked spiffy with both fountains going. We arrived at St Peter's via taxi at 8:00 am. There was already a line to go thru security, appearing to be mostly groups. We entered the basilica at 8:30 am. (Security allowed water bottles) St Peter's is an overwhelming sight with all the beautiful marble on display. The Pieta was not viewable due to restoration work for the Jubilee and Bernini's altar canopy is also under wraps with no access to the apse behind the altar. We would have liked to have seen both of these but there was still much to see and appreciate. There were plenty of people inside but it is so immense we were not like sardines. When we left around 11:00 the security line wound around the square so get there as early as possible.
Vatican Museums
This is a problem child. I booked an official Vatican tour at 4:00 pm on a day when the museums closed at 7:00 pm hoping for less crowding. Maybe it was better than earlier in the day but still very crowded. Before we left I did not read much about the Vatican tour so I will give my opinion on it.
Security would not allow entry for the tour before 3:30. Consequently, there was not time to use the restrooms which were downstairs from where the tour started. ( Husband was able to run down and use but of course the women's line was too long, plan accordingly) Headsets were handed out but not tested and tour started on time. The headsets were terrible, mostly static unless the guide was stopped and for the most part she was walking. Tour size was fine at about 25. Because the guide does not enter the Sistine Chapel at the end, the guide gives a half-hour explanation of the Chapel frescoes in a utilitarian room with no seating. People were getting antsy which irritated the guide but I think many in the group had read about what they were going to see and wanted to see more of the museums, including myself. The guide's overall presentation(what I could hear) was ok but not great.
We did get to see the Pinecone Courtyard , the Laocoon sculpture, the beautiful hallways, floors, stunning ceilings in the museum. However, everything was very rushed. The Raphael rooms were a disaster. We were herded thru by the guards, saw nothing until we entered the "School of Athens" room which was wonderful, for some reason not crowded and the guide did her best commentary here. She apologized for not seeing the other rooms but said there was nothing she could do about it. We arrived at the Sistine at 6:00, the end of the tour. It is magnificent but is not an enjoyable experience. Too many people( although I've seen it worse in pictures). Guards are aggressive in limiting movement so it was hard to see the entire ceiling. At 6:30, it was time to go.
The entire Museums experience needs to be reviewed and improved by the Vatican. They are, after all, the ones controlling the number of tix sold and how tours are handled. Visitors deserve better. I'm glad we did it but as a museum lover, it is a shame not to be able to see more of this magnificent place in an enjoyable way. Because of the crowds and the way you are pushed thru I don't know that going on your own (no tour) would get you a much better experience.
A couple Rome sights we enjoyed I didn't mention before are the Ara Pacis(Altar of Peace) and Trajan's Marketplace. No crowds at either. Guilty confession: Although we had tix, we bailed on the Colosseum interior and did the Marketplace instead. We had visited the Roman arenas in Arles and Nimes and learned about the gladiators etc. They were of course, much smaller than the Colosseum but modeled after it. We just couldn't face the intense crowds at the Colosseum on the appointed day.
I will monitor the forum for about a week. If anyone has any questions, I will try to answer them.