18 Oct 2023
The tour guide met us at the right time and the right place. Our first stop was the Spanish Steps and our tour guide was a wealth of information about why there were Spanish steps in Italy. She then took us on a walking tour and we learned about the history of Rome from ancient times up to the present. The Trevi Fountain was not as crowded as expected so we were able to get up close. The tour guide made a point of offering to take our picture at each stop, including right in front of the fountain. We walked some more, punctuated with a stop at an ancient Roman fountain where we could refill our water bottles with clean water from local springs. The Pantheon was our next big attraction. When we approached the area, we were dismayed to see long lines of people waiting to get in. Our tour guide ushered us through the crowd to the front of the line. She showed the guard something on her phone and he waved us on in. Magic! Skip-the-line tickets were never more appreciated. Our walking tour ended with our guide showing us the closest taxi stand so we could return to our hotel.