The first stop of our trip was a four day stay in Rome. The streets and alleyways of Rome are so filled with buses, cars, motor scooters, motorcycles and pedestrians that we knew immediately why we were advised to not drive while we were there. Crossing the street at a crosswalk with no signal is not for the faint-hearted. Our guide for a half day walking tour of Rome told us to "walk deliberately when crossing a street, but don't rush". And "Don't make eye contact with the drivers because they can sense fear". That turned out to be good advice that served us well for the entire trip.