Favourite surprise in Rome

The Pantheon in Rome is a true "head in the air" experience.

Well, we were not very well prepared, having not read those thousands of pages about Rome before our trip.

Nevertheless I had managed to read at least some pages - especially about the Pantheon in Rome. After having visited the Pantheon in Paris before, I wanted to know what the Pantheon in Rome is about. So I knew beforehand that there is a hole in the centre of the dome. This was the image I had on my mind, when we entered the antique building:

I also expected to see the fresco in the dome which fakes 3-dimensional niches in the dome,

until I discovered that ...

... the niches don't fake 3-dimensional niches, they actually ARE 3-dimensional ! 

Me, in the very moment of surprise, captured by Mr Paula. Can you see my surprise?

I like being surprised. It''s the surprise that tickles your synapses and leads to new paths in the brain. Don't the eye specialists say 'The eyes are excrescences of our brain'? At least my eye specialist says so. :)

 And 'off' I was, head in the air, seeing processing what I had not expected to see.

While I had my head in the air, there was a crowd around me, which I did not mind at all.

Mr Paula had no problems with the 3-dimensional niches at all. But it took quite an effort to convince him, that this IS a hole in the centre of the dome. He did not believe me his eyes.

 Meanwhile outside, on the doorsteps of the Pantheon:

See you!
Paula