A visit to Vatican City is a very interesting experience. A walled enclave in the very heart of Rome, the Vatican is the smallest sovereign state in the world, both by area and population. It boasts an impressive and world famous collection of art, added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

With important religious and cultural monuments such as St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Sistine Chapel, the Pope's home attracts countless visitors year by year which sustain the unique economy of this city state. Basically, the Vatican supports itself financially by the sale of postage stamps, fees for admission to museums, tourist mementos, and sales of books.

If you visit Vatican City you must come prepared to wait in long queues and to walk among hordes of tourists. It is not pleasant all the time, but it is definitely worth at least a day of any visit to Rome. It is undoubtedly interesting to observe how Catholicism has imposed itself and gained such an important and special status in Italy. Not to mention the works of Michelangelo, Bramante, Bernini, and Fra Angelico to mention some of the great artists who left their marks here.

My favourite of all galleries was the one with the huge maps of Italy. I have a passion for geography, so I was captivated by the descriptions and names of places. Another highlight was observing the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, which awake in visitors the need for solemn contemplation.

After a long day admiring the works of master painters and strolling around monuments of the finest and most brilliant architects, I felt quite exhausted. I made a quick stop at a bakery once outside the walls of the Vatican. Italians are well known for their exquisite pastries. Everything looked so delicious! It was the joy of the mundane. Oh, it was a day full of beautiful experiences!

St. Peter's Square.

Swiss Guard at the Vatican Apostolic Palace entrance.

St. Peter's Basilica, the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture in the world.

Bernini's baldacchino, St. Peter's Basilica.

St. Peter's Square.

A call from the Vatican.

Vatican Museums.

Gallery of Maps, Vatican Museums.

Vatican Museums.

The modern Bramante staircase.

Hiking trips are always the most exciting trips. After trekking the tropical rainforest of Panama and making it to the summit of the highest elevation in the country, Baru Volcano, I confirmed my love for climbing adventures. Although I had some mountain climbing experience, this new challenge was unlike anything I had ever done before. A group of friends and me were going to climb Mount Snowdon, highest mountain in Wales, in winter.

Our weekend trip began with a four-hour bus ride from Leeds to Rhyd Ddu, a village located at the foot of Mount Snowdon. We arrived quite late in the evening, so we didn't really get a chance to see anything during our first hours in Wales. We had to wait until next morning to look at the wonderful uninterrupted views of Mount Snowdon from our cute and modest cabin by the lake.

We packed our bags and set off quite early in the morning. We chose to hike Snowdon Ranger Path, which is a hard mountain walk that lasts approximately 6 hours, but we were not in a hurry. Our group made several pauses on the way, especially to take in all the breathtaking views.

As we climbed higher and higher, small valleys and hidden rivers started appearing in the vastness of Snowdonia National Park, making it probably one of the most impressive natural landscapes I have ever seen in my life. From up there the world seemed so silent, so pristine, and I couldn't but be in awe at the sheer beauty in front of me.

The longest pause we made was for having lunch in front of the massive mountain we still had to finish climbing. I felt like I could stare at Mount Snowdon forever without being bored. It was such an overwhelmingly beautiful experience, and I still feel that words can't do justice to what I saw and felt. In this moment I understood the world is full of wonders. We only just need to go out in search of them, and once we have found them, we should let them speak to us, and if possible, change us for the better.

View from the cabin.

Start of the hike.

First scenic views from Snowdon Ranger Path.

Nora and Alex.

So breathtaking!

Views from Snowdon Ranger Path.

Hikers.

Vasek and Anjo.

Vasek and the vastness of the landscape.

Alex.

Snowdonia.

Mount Snowdon.

Snowdonia National Park.

The path to  the summit.

Sheep.

Mount Snowdon.