Ancient columns might be standing next to a new apartment building, and often structures hundreds of years old become incorporated into a building being constructed. Old and new swirl around the streets of Rome, and funny as it is, it all fits together. The streets themselves are as thin as the back alleyways, so I guess that could explain the tiny car sizes. Most motor vehicles around here are smaller then the Volkswagen Bug, and look like they could be squished like a soda can. Since there are few sidewalks, the tiny roads are filled with people, and lined with apartment buildings at least three stories tall.
Vines creep upward, and balcony geraniums have grown into entire jungles.
Buildings with ochre-colored faded paint are everywhere. At almost every corner a fountain is spraying water into marble basins. Small cafes with outdoor dining send smells of pasta smothered in cheese and juice-dripping tomatoes. The overall feeling is of being always on the move, with excitement and enjoyment splashed everywhere like paint splattered on a canvas. New York City may be the city that never sleeps, but Rome is the city that will never die.