Day 17 Making Gelato and Sightseeing our neighborhood!

The day started with a great cup of Italian coffee, or as we call it, espresso. I don't drink coffee, but there's something about the espresso here in Italy that's so delicious!  And this mornings was extra good!  It's like a cultural experience here. You feel like a local. In fact, each time we go to a cafe and order, "un cafe" they say, an americano?? And we are like, "No, in cafe!"  It's like they're shocked that we wouldn't have it the way most other Americans have it. We love that!  Then we went to our Gelato class. It was a private class with just the 2 of us and a chef.  It was a lot of fun!  Definitely learned some new tricks!  After the class, we toured the Pantheon and the area around it. The Pantheon is one of my favorite buildings, as it should be!  It's an amazing structure!  The only building whose structure is completely intact in Rome from the golden age of the empire. It never ceases to amaze me. I've seen it several times, and I still get chills each time I walk into it!  What a special place! Then we walked to a couple of churches in the neighborhood one, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, which means it was built over a temple to Minerva. A beautiful church that doesn't have many visitors, but does have a Michelangelo sculpture that's pretty amazing that you can walk right up to. It's so cool. Then we went to another church around the corner from the Pantheon called San Luigi Dei Francesi. It's a church for French people in the heart of Rome. The main draw though is a chapel painted by Caravaggio, one of my favorite painters!  He has a way of telling a story in a painting that is so easy to understand. That makes his paintings very powerful to me!  He highlights with light what you need to pay attention to. I stood there with a tear in my eye looking at the story of St Matthew. He really makes it feel so real!  I love art!!!  After that we had reservations at a restaurant that is supposed to have some of the very best Cacio e Pepe pasta in Rome. That means pasta with cheese and pepper!  So simple, but so perfect!!  We had an appetizer of fresh made buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes and basil couscous, so good!!!  Then we had the pasta, it was amazing!  Then we shared an order of meatballs with tomato sauce and smoked mozzarella cheese. The best meatballs I've ever had! No doubt!  Then we went home and got ready for bed. Tomorrow is the Vatican Museum. Gonna be a long day!!!  But we can't wait!  Almost 4 miles of art!!  We love you all and appreciate the fact that you care enough to read our little blog!  Thank you!!