The rain stopped after my second day here. But, before that, I did find plenty to do indoors when it was raining that first weekend. Specialmente in this city of 10,000 churches.

One morning I made an incredible discovery. I decided to check out St. Agostino in Campo Marzo. A church which I had passed regularly on my way to the Internet cafe when I was living here for those three months.

I started at one side and gradually worked my way around the church, chapel to chapel, candle to candle, aisle to altar to aisle. Remarkable sculptures and paintings by artists unknown to me.

Just as I was about to exit, there it was -- Madonna dei Pelligrini -- Madonna of the Pilgrims. One of the most beautiful paintings by Caravaggio I had ever seen.

It was like finding the most perfect pearl in the world while eating the very last oyster. Such is the beauty of Rome.

I wish that I could find a better way to describe what it is about this city that has captured my heart. It is difficult because it is as much about sensations, as it is about people, places and things.

The buzz of mopeds and wail of Italian ambulances. The smell of freshly baked pizza bianca. The clinking of cups and saucers when walking by a ristorante. The taste of that swirl of foam on the top of un espresso. The squeals of children playing in the piazzas.

And, oh, the piazza life. Italy is defined as much by it as much as anything. There, you can order just one tiny cup of cafe, which takes about a minute to drink, then sit for hours, literally hours, reading the paper, writing in your journal, taking pictures or just watching il mondo walk by.