For our last full day in Europe, we took an amazing 4 hour scooter ride around Rome with Annie and Giovanni who own Scooteroma.  When Annie heard we had only seen the exterior of the Pantheon, she suggested we end the scooter tour with them dropping us off at the Pantheon.  I’m so glad it all worked out.  The Pantheon is perhaps my favorite building in the world.  It’s almost 2000 years old and is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome on earth.  The dome is exactly as tall as it is wide (142 feet) and has the most beautiful column of light pouring in from the large gaping hole in the roof.  It’s difficult for me to articulate, but there is something truly magical about the building.

This is the view just inside a city wall as you enter Rome from the North.  The walls are definitely still visible (not pictured), though I don’t know how complete they are.

Designed by Bernini, this bronze canopy covering the alter reaches 66 feet high.  It’s extreme height helps anchor your eye to prevent you from feeling swallowed by the dauntingly large building.  The basilica itself is 730 feet long (that’s two football fields), 500 feet wide, and 452 feet high.  It is unbelievable.

The Trevi fountain is huge (86’x161′), loud, and glorious.

Our EuRail pass lasted ten travel days through five countries during one month.  It has been a pretty good ride!

While in Sorrento, we found a gelato making class… in english!

The culprit, Mt. Vesuvius, looms in the background.

We were traveling such distances that a train day usually took the better part of the day… 8-10 hours for door to door travel.  I learned I would rather stay put if the location had enough to entertain us.

This was the view from our apartment in Sienna, Italy.  It’s a little hard to make out, but it is overlooking Piazza del Campo, the central piazza in town.  The location was amazing!

The local stone coloring is where the name burnt Sienna comes from.