Some things older some things newer

There is a very pretty French church in Rome San Luigi dei Francesi. It is around the corner from the Pantheon and it seemed like a good spot to check out.

Do you see all those children in red caps...they are French students on a school trip!

This church has several paintings by Caravaggio which are set in a small chapel off to the side:

I took this photo from across the church...you can see how many people were standing in front of it.

The church itself is pretty spectacular inside with so many colors of marble:

and really complex ceilings:

I liked these little chubby cherubs with feet hanging off the edge...no fear!!

There are also plenty of fleur de lis all over.

Next door to the church there is a French bookstore which we visited and then strolled to the Pantheon down this little street.

The dome inside the Pantheon is quite amazing and the oculus is open to the sky. It was built  by the Romans and Brunelleschi studied the dome before he built the one in Florence.

Here is the back of the Pantheon...I think the combination of materials makes a wonderful texture. There always seems to be a little greener around too!!

This neighborhood has many other churches...I liked the head of the stag on top of St. Eustache:

Another church nearby:

and some ancient columns with a more "modern" building...what about those vines!!??

The Swiss chocolatier Lindt has a "super store" in this neighborhood too!

You can smell the scent of chocolate all the way down the street.

In our neighborhood the mysterious appliance store was open so we decided to step in and see what was buried deep in the walls...it was surprising:

How do you like these colorful refrigerators...(the red one on the left is actually the three colors of the Italian flag)...

or this wall of espresso makers:

they also have an electric one made to look like the little stovetop Bialetti Moka I make coffee in   every morning:

On our way to catch our bus home we passed by a little chapel/church with this sign above the door:

we were curious and went in the open doorway...

et voilà...the transformation of the chapel:

There will be a fashion show here next week says a sign outside!

Well...time to climb the stairs...going to make some pasta alla vongole for dinner and JC will do salade. Buon appetito

!