Rome

Look, over there, the tourist information booth. Now that we've found that, we aren't as stressed about things. We found out which bus to take to get to our hotel, and bought the Roma Pass. The Roma pass gives us free entry to some museums and other sites, as well as free transportation on the metro or bus system. Let's go to our hotel and plan our attack on the eternal city. Taking the bus was an experience in itself. The bus was beyond packed - standing room only for sure, and packing along three suitcases was an additional challenge. That, coupled with not quite knowing which stop to get off at, made for a stressful ride. Our luggage was rolling around everywhere when the bus would turn, start, or stop. We decided right then and there that a taxi ride back to the train station would be worth the extra euros. Finally, our stop is the next one, but how are we going to get through these crowds politely? The answer - don't be polite - just push through the crowds. We're here, but now which way - left or right? We eventually found our way to the hotel... what a relief. The front desk staff was very helpful by giving us the lay of the land. Sheri is from Missouri - finally, someone who completely understands me! There is also an Italian-speaking man for the folk who speak Italian. We decided that since it is already mid-day, we would just go downtown to check it out, but not do too much. A lot of people drive scooters here and the driving - oh man, it's crazy. There doesn't seem to be any rules in some places. Roundabouts are chaotic - not quite sure who has the right of way. If you want to learn how not to drive, this is the place to do it. Every traffic violation can be broken in a short trip. We took the bus and made our way to Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps (great for a stair workout) and the outside of the Pantheon because it was closed. That will come tomorrow. This building is huge. In fact, all these buildings are huge. If you thought buildings in Vegas are big, you'd be wrong - or at least on a scale compared to these buildings. There were no cranes back in Roman times so it makes you wonder how these 60-ton pillars (and there are a lot of them) were erected. The Pantheon is the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome and the best preserved building in Rome. I also found out that the water from all the water fountains in Rome comes from a spring, so it's free. At night time, the passiagiatta is a nice evening stroll with the streets lit up gold, with lots of outdoor cafés - so European... wait, we are in Europe. The passiagiatta is full of Lebanese men trying to sell tacky anything. They are relentless. I don't even look at them anymore. I tell them "I didn't come to Italy to buy something from India." Politeness is starting to wear off. "No grazie" is slowly becoming a not-so-polite hand gesture. There are so many scammers. Time to go to our hotel and get ready for what lies ahead tomorrow - the Colosseum, Forum, and Pantheon. We are following a "5-day itinerary for Rome" that we got off the Internet.