Gelato Time!

Sunday, March 20, 2011 (Part 6)

This was a very long day. Given the absence of any taxi service in the city, and given that we were severely detoured by the Rome Marathon barricades, we spent the great majority of this day on our feet and walking. By the time we reached the Pantheon, around 4:00 p.m., we were ready for some rest and some nourishment. It was definitely time to try out some gelato.

The Pantheon sits on the south side of the Piazza Della Rotonda, and this Piazza is ringed with several outdoor cafes. We were very lucky to grab a table at one of these cafes, and we zeroed in on the gelato menu. We each ordered a sampler of three different flavors.

Gelato is a wonderful thing. It is obviously similar to ice cream, but it is SO MUCH creamier. And the flavors are so distinct. My sampler flavors included hazelnut, cherry and caramel. Yum, yum, yum. It was the

perfect snack. It was also nice to give our sore feet a rest and just sit for a few minutes.

From the Pantheon, we walked north (heading to our hotel) along Via

D. Maddelena and Via di Campo Marzio. Unbeknownst to us, these turned out to be great streets to do some window shopping, and some real shopping too. I bought some silk scarves and a pair of gloves in one store. Dad popped into a stationery store, and Katherine and I followed him. Ten minutes later, we exited, each with our own purchases. And further down the street, I found a leather shop selling brightly colored briefcases, folios, wallets, purses, etc. I ended up purchasing a really unique, soft sided briefcase in bright green and pink! I cannot wait to start using it later this Spring.