Buon Giorno, Blogonauts! Let me take you on a walk.

Be they sandaled tootsies or horse's hooves, evidence indicates that ancient Rome was built for feet. A single-file sidewalk may now line a twisting thoroughfare, but the acutely angled turns make it apparent that, frequently, four wheels can be a handicap.

Superimposed over this loose lattice of cobblestone lanes is a web of streets that vary in their annoying narrowness. Modern Romans have filled both the slender and more generous streets chock-a-block with Vespas, SmartCars, Fiats, and Ferraris. As urban planning goes, it seems a bit haphazard; however, it does tend to keep pedestrians on their toes.

Friday found us trekking through these old city streets from our hotel to the Holy See.

Along the way we hit some of the highlights of Rome’s historical landmarks:

• Some of my pre-flight reading had suggested that for the next few years half the Trevi Fountain would be shielded by restorers’ scaffolding. But thanks to luck and legendary Italian efficiency, the work has not yet begun. And so we were able to see the entire fountain in sunny splendor.

• The Pantheon, a stunning, round achievement of ancient architecture (whose exterior, incidentally, had been half-shielded by scaffolding during my visit 3 years ago), impressed me even more this time. Considering the sorry state of so much of ancient Rome’s residue, the tenacity of this dome-topped temple is nothing short of remarkable.

• Michelangelo’s soaring dome that tops St. Peter’s basilica dominates the Roman skyline, although since Mussolini’s time, the church has resided not in Rome (or even in Italy), but in Vatican City. We made our way there with full plans to enter the church, but the queue for entry involved a lengthy wait ’neath the Etruscan sun. Three members of our troupe had already toured the interior, and the remaining two thought we could spend our time better than standing in line. So we left St. Peter’s Square and wandered down the street to …

• Castel Sant’Angelo, also known as Hadrian’s Tomb. None of us had ever entered this imposing edifice; it is not usually highlighted in the tour books. But the interior has some impressive elements, and the view from the top is well worth the price of admission.

Hiking back toward our hotel, we lingered for about an hour in Piazza Navona watching acrobatic performers, art peddlers, and assorted people enjoying the cooling evening.

On Saturday, we boarded the train for Naples, which offers a quite different view of modern Italy. Tune in for more on that later.

Blog to you later!