For lunch we stopped at what we quickly learned was one of hundreds, thousands maybe, of sidewalk cafes in Rome. Most blocks have one. Actually, most blocks have several. The lady that helped us was delightful. We ordered paninis.
Mary needed caffeine so even though the afternoon was getting warm, it was time for caffe. Our waitress seemed especially happy when I turned down caffe Americano without hesitation. When in Rome.... Only espresso would do. Less volume of a hot liquid that way! Don ordered a Coke. They're served cool but not icy cold. Generally without ice. Yet the Cokes are yummy since they are made with real sugar, not corn syrup.
Mary needed caffeine so even though the afternoon was getting warm, it was time for caffe. Our waitress seemed especially happy when I turned down caffe Americano without hesitation. When in Rome.... Only espresso would do. Less volume of a hot liquid that way! Don ordered a Coke. They're served cool but not icy cold. Generally without ice. Yet the Cokes are yummy since they are made with real sugar, not corn syrup.
Time for our first church and no sense in fooling around. We headed to St. John Lateran. It is the official cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. One of the most impressive features is actually on the outside. The roofline is rimmed with statues that are 17 or 19 feet tall - of Jesus, His apostles, and other saints. Fifteen statues in all. We'll provide more details in another post. Suffice it to say we were awestruck.
On our way to the next basilica, we stopped for gelato. There are just about as many gelaterios as there are cafes. Especially if you count the cafes that sell gelato! Once again, our first experience was terrific. The lady at the store was really, really helpful and friendly. And the gelato was heavenly. This gelaterio makes their own on the premises. After trying some others, we are anxious to return to the first. So far, we've tried Pesca (peach), Menta (mint with bits of fudge that are drizzled on top, hardened, and end up bits of chocolate stirred into the green gelato), Frutti de Bosco (wild berries), Caramel (caramel - ok, some things are easy), wild cherry and chocolate chip. Yes, it's true. One of the major budget items is for gelato.
Refreshed, we headed to Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major, also known as St. Mary in the Snow). I'm quickly running out of superlatives to use. The art, the beauty of the space, the vaulted ceilings. Breathtaking. The ceilings are all covered in gold - gold brought back from America by Christopher Columbus, a gift from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. We will post details of this church later also.
We visited another church specifically to view a famed sculpture by Bernini. It's of St. Theresa in ecstasy, taken from her description of an angel pulling an arrow of love from her heart. She is literally enraptured by the pain of the arrow and the intensity of her love for God. Exquisite.
We were disappointed to find Santa Susanna closed for renovations. It is the English-speaking parish in Rome. We had planned to attend their 6 PM daily Mass.
By now we've done a lot of walking to finish up a day of flying. Time for supper. After we picked out another cafe, we asked how large the pizzas were. We were told they were for one person. We ordered one each. We shouldn't have. They were 14 inches! And delicioso!
Another shower to end the day and more sleep.
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