Rome, Italy, part 2

After touring the Vatican, we spent the afternoon of our second day in Italy by visiting some of the famous sights of Rome; the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. It is almost impossible to believe that the Pantheon is over 1800 years old. It is too perfect mathematically. The height exactly matches the width of the base, and the dome is flawless. From the Pantheon, we braved the streets of Rome again to get to Trevi Fountain.

Roman traffic appears to follow no rules or order. Red lights are completely ignored. Pedestrians tempt fate with regularity. Jaywalking is the only way to get anywhere here. Crossing one of the bridges over the Tiber the traffic was backed up, so up onto the sidewalk with us came the scooters. Incredible. We are very glad not to rent a car here.

Trevi Fountain is a splendid piece of both raw marble and sculpted forms, telling the story of how water was first brought to Rome. The fountain, like the Spanish Steps we went to next, was covered with people. The two places were swarming with tourists as the sun sank and things cooled down. We could barely see the Spanish Steps, let alone walk up them, they were so crowded. We decided to leave the city and return to Gaeta.