Tuesday, 25 november 2025, Rome

The rain finally came, and though it was not as torrential as expected, it did dampen our walk-around energy. We made a sightseeing trip of a different kind, going to an upscale department store called Rinascente. It’s been an Italian institution for a long time — I remember it from my parents’ year in Milano when I was 14 — and I was eager to see it here.

No surprise . . . like every commercial establishment we’ve seen this month, Rinascente is primed for Christmas. Drummer boys are all over the store:

Here’s a display of water pitchers for your dinner table, with sea creatures inside, individually blown and colored. You can have one for about 250 Euros.

If you need a new lamp, Rinascente has a big variety, but I liked this quiet humble sit-down figure the best:

On our way back, we walked in very light rain, and came upon the church of San Carlo of the Four Fountains. Construction work obscured at least two of the four corners of the intersection, but this scene was clear and photogenic:

Later, we managed to check out two more huge churches in the darkening day — St. John Lateran and Santa Maria Maggiore — but I’ll spare you my photos. We have seen a lot of marble statues and towering ceilings!