Rome, Day 2: Begins Exactly How it Should

My second day in Rome begins exactly how it should....exactly how I had hoped it would....with a wonderful cappuccino, a beautiful cornetto, and the company of a great friend. Though I had a million things to tick off of my "to-do" list, there is no more civilized way to start the day than to welcome it the Italian way. And so rather than stand at the bar for a knock-it-back espresso, we took to a table to start the day with sips, munches, and conversation. Ahh......

Next stop, the fabulous Trionfale Market. Every time I'm in Rome I love to stop in here, not only to make purchases.....which I did, but just to soak up the local flavor. I mean that quite literally as I had samples of porchetta, olives, wine cookies and mozzarella cheese while shopping! Speaking of mozzarella cheese....the hubster will love these photos. I couldn't bring home these fascinatingly shaped cheeses, so he'll have to settle for the giant package of wine cookies I bought for him instead.

Recycling! I love the clever use of empty wine bottles to display the sausages.












More market photos:

You know I'm all about the food and wine, so it seemed appropriate that after the food market, I should make my next stop one of Rome's best wine shops.

I'll take you inside in a moment. First, notice the young man's head in the bottom right side of the photograph? It appears that his head is resting on the sidewalk. How can that be?

It was delivery day. When that happens, they open the metal "storm doors" in the sidewalk. Installed underground is a slide. One young man climbs down into the hole and places boxes of wine at the top of the slide. Inside the store, in the lower level, another young man is receiving the cases at the bottom of the slide. Genius!

Now, let's go inside! It's beautiful, isn't it? The photo on the left is all liquors, grappas, etc. The photo on the right is just one of the many aisles downstairs filled with wines from every region of Italy!

Unfortunately, my lunch photos didn't come out very well....though the lunch itself was delicious. Instead, I bring you post-lunch photos. The best way to finish lunch is with a great macchiato or espresso. Today, I discovered a great new coffee place in my old neighborhood. Oh my goodness, it was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Though my lunch photos didn't turn out, my dinner photos did. This evening Rome was hit with an amazing thunderstorm. The rain was torrential, and lightning strikes and thunder abounded. It was the kind of rainstorm for which waterproof clothing was invented....and for which, it doesn't work. And to top it off, I was hungry. I was hungry at the peak, most rainy, lightning-ish, thunder-y part of the storm. Go figure. I ventured forth, down the slippery Spanish Steps, slogging my way to the pizza-by-the-slice place I meant to go to yesterday. Odd, hardly anyone else in the city was out at all. The shop was nearly empty and they were eager to tell me about all the different kinds of pizza available this evening. I chose two types: one with truffles and porcini mushrooms (so decadent!) and the other with artichokes (love them!). Torrential rain, crackling thunder, lightning spikes, shoes soaked. Worth it!!