Yesterday we spent half a day trying to get information that no one seems to have. About and hour in line at the post office trying to find out how Andy can open an account. No one knows. So we went back to the CAF office where they will help us with our paperwork…but they are closed until Monday. We meet two young men who work next to the CAF office and they direct us to a Main post office. We walk blocks and blocks to be told she has to get her Carta de Soggiorno – which is what the paperwork is for. Then get a tax ID from their IRS then come back and open an account. After all this we go to a fish restaurant near our apartment and have calamari. I came back to rest and Andy went to buy water and cannolis for dessert. I cooked Italian sausage and scrambled eggs and it was delicious.
At our apartment, we climb about 25 steps inside to the first floor – not to be confused with the ground floor – and then we can get in the elevator up to floor #1 to our apartment which is really on the second floor. More to come about the elevator…
Today, we have coffee and a bite to eat and head out to the American Embassy for help with this paperwork. I start to take the elevator down…but there is NO Elevator car. None whatsoever. Nada. The whole shaft is glassed in and there is NO car. Gone! (It is still gone when we got home today).
We took the subway to Piazza Bernini and went to the American Embassy. They told us to go to the American Consulate next door. We arrived about noon and were told to come back at 2 as everyone was at lunch. (Two hour Italian lunch hours). We decided to go to the Bone Church. They have remodeled since the last time I was there and they have a very nice museum telling the history of the Capuchin Monks who lived there. Lots of beautiful art work, bibles and religious articles displayed very nicely. At the end of the museum you go into the crypt that has made this church famous. In several small grottos, the monks bones have been artistically displayed over the walls and ceilings. In each grotto, there are several monks with their bones all intact dressed in their Capuchin robes…either standing or lying in repose. It is all tastefully (?) done…but very macabre. There are the bones of about 3700 monks here.
We were back in line before 2 at the Consulate and got in after showing our passports and going thru X-ray screening. We didn’t have to remove our shoes.