Our Car! In Rome?

This morning we saw a Mazda MPV. That is the kind of car my mom has. It has three rows of seats, which is really rare in Italy.

The reason that vans are really rare in Italy, is because there is not much space for parking. The most common cars to see are taxis, which are just front seat and back seat. Most of the cars are only the size of a subcompact car in the US. Another popular car in Italy is a SmartCar. These are only slightly smaller than regular cars! Some reasons why the cars are so small are:

1: The streets are tiny and very narrow. You could never get a pick-up truck down some of the streets!

2: The gasoline is very expensive. It is at least three times as much as at home - about $8-$9 a gallon.

3: There is practically no place to park, even at 8:00 in the morning!

Most people get around on foot, or on a motor scooter, or on buses/trams.

Us? Mostly just feet and buses. (Dad? Mostly feet.)

Here are some photos of cars we have seen in Rome. Also, notice the orange trees growing behind the white car along the side the road in one of the photos.

-Elizabeth