Thursday was really a low key kind of day. Joe and I spent most of the day before and after meeting Mike and Cor pursuing our quest for a stove top espresso maker and some nice espresso cups. We succeeded with cups, and some everyday glassware as a bonus at Limentani. This amazing shop at Via del Portico D'Ottavia 48, is full of all kinds of glassware, dishes, and more. English was tough to come by, but politeness and patience were not in short supply.
Before we wrapped up our shopping we went to Museo e Galleria Borghese. A major highlight of our trip. No photography allowed, so no pictures. The limited access made it an amazing experience. Go upstairs first, while everyone else is downstairs and then come downstairs. I was able to stand in amazing rooms hundreds of years old, essentially by myself, with some of Bernini's major works. Serious gawking moments!
This was also the day we solved the mystery of the Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne. We had been trying to find it since our second day in Rome. Just off the Piazza Navona, it was tucked into a corner that you either stumbled on or circled around. The column was from the Theatre of Domitian, which was originally on the site. Domitian ruled Rome during the second half of the first century AD. From what I could gather the current "house" on the site was built in the 16th century.
After shopping and a rest at the hotel, we met Mike and Cor for dinner at a re
staurant recommended by Fernando, Trattoria da Luigi. Officially it's at Piazza Sforza Cesarini, 24, but it's really right on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, next to a pizza place called Paparazzi. If you go to Rome, don't miss eating here. The trick is to skip the menu and the wine list and just tell the waiter what you think you might like to have and might be willing to eat. As we were eating, I watched someone carry fresh desserts in from a bakery. We shared the most amazing Rum Baba and an Italian cheese cake for dessert. But the highlight of the meal were the zucchini flower appetizers.
