A combination of staying out late to take night photos and that past unpreparedness for the cold led me to another night of rough to no sleep. The result was another late start, which for taking photos is a problem since the sun sets in Rome at about 4:30 PM this time of year. Regardless, the day got started.
Now, I know you're reading this thinking that I'm some kind of genius. A savant without any of the socially detrimental drawbacks. A modern day Albert Einhorn. To prove how down-to-earth and not-a-renaissance-man I truly am, let me tell you how hard I failed at getting a cab.
I walked out of the door of my apartment building and stood on the curb. I waved at a few taxis which just continued on their merry ways. I figured "maybe this is a bad spot" and moved to the corner. Similar results. After about ten minutes of this I decided to just walk to the Pantheon, which was only about a kilometer away. I forget what that equates to in Freedom Measurements™. Before I can even make it 10 millifeetmeters, I notice about 10 taxis sitting on a square less than a block from where I'd been trying to hail one of them moments earlier. In my defense, I'm stupid.
More importantly, the kind gentleman driver escorted me to the Pantheon. And even the side of the building had me in minor stages of wow. Just a few steps later and I was standing inside. And one again, I was left speechless.
Romans don't seem to like doing things in small measures. I'm sure there have been cases of people going home from a Roman holiday in a neck brace from having to look up so much. Any of the movies, TV shows, photos, or anything you've seen of these places somehow just don't convey their size. If I wasn't starting to feel a tingling in my neck and the sun wasn't going down at top speed, I could have spent the day just staring.
Since I did need to bust cheeks to beat the sun, I dipped out and headed toward Trevi Fountain.
I honestly didn't expect the fountain to be such a popular site. Don't get me wrong, I'm aware that it's a top attraction, but I just didn't expect so many people. It was more surprising knowing that I was visiting during the "slow season" and I still had to move people out of the way with my American Patriot Arms™. After all was said and done, though, it was an incredible sight. To think rocks just grow like that? Nature is amazing.
Afterwards, I wandered around and made passing stops at the Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo, Ara Pacis, and the Basilica of SS Ambrose and Charles on the Corso (replace with Italian name later to sound way more interesting).
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| Spanish Steps in the distance |
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| Ara Pacis |
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| Sant'Ambrogio e Carlo al Corso |
After lots of walking, I dropped into The Perfect Bun for the bloodiest medium burger I've ever had in my life. No complaints about the taste, though I could have done without a scene from The Cove playing out on my plate. I think that's the one about the dolphins, right? I haven't seen it. But I know it's pretty messed up. Anyway, taxi back and prep for my last day in Rome.
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