Rome the third

Today I weave-weave-weave-weaved like a Tux Wonder Dog through the areas my guidebook calls Piazza della Rotunda, Piazza Navona and Campo de Fiori.

Fontana di Tritone. I was all "Yeah, water features make this guy thirsty too!" but it turns out he's blowing a conch. Stupid Wikipedia, ruining everything with facts.

Column of Marcus O-rly-us, Roman emperor and surprised owl.

When I was younger I used to think that Jesuits were evil and possibly fictional, because I'd only heard of them from a copy of The Exorcist I came across (note: do not let your young children come across a copy of The Exorcist). I'm still not sure what their deal is, but it turns out they're real, and they give good church. There are some very trippy optical illusions going on with the ceiling fresco - you can see at the top it looks like the people are reaching out over the edge of the dome.

Lazy obelisk riding an elephant.

The Pantheon. Almost 2000 years old, and still just sitting there the same as it ever was. Think about that and hear your brain explode.

Inside, looking up to the oculus. Apparently it's the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. If I'd known that at the time I would have made sure my affairs were in order before going in.

This is Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in Piazza Navona. Each of the figures on the fountain represents a famous river, and Ganges here is my favourite.

Via Giulia, conceived and punched through Rome by Pope Julius II to make himself feel useful.

Of all the things this could be, I bet nobody had money on 'the Hungarian Academy of Rome'. It looks lovely and I want to live there, but faking my way in is not an option as I just realised the amount of stuff I know about Hungary is actually zero.

My favourite spot I've come across so far, Piazza della Pace.