The Vatican Museums and the Basilica of St Peter’s are open to visitors, and it’s also doable to visit the Vatican Gardens , though only on one guided tour a day (Mon-Tues & Thurs-Sat except religious holidays 10am; L18,000); visits last about two hours and tickets must be bought a few days ahead from the Vatican Information Office in Piazza San Pietro (Mon-Sat 8.30am-6pm; tel 06.6988.4466). You can also, if you wish, attend a papal audience : these happen once a week, usually on Wednesdays at 11am in the Audiences Room, and are by no means one-to-one affairs. It’s often doable to get a place on one if you apply not more than a month and not less than two days in advance, by sending a fax with your name, your home address, your Rome address, and your preferred date of audience, to the Prefettura della Casa Pontificia (tel 06.6988.3273, fax 06.6988.5863). Finally, if you want to send a postcard with a Vatican postmark, there are Vatican post offices on the north side of Piazza San Pietro and inside the Vatican Museums.