Beautiful day here today. About 60 degrees, and I hear Dallas and the East Coast are in the deep freeze.
We cleaned house this morning, mopped floors, cleaned the bathroom, did several loads of wash and then went out shopping. Took a suitcase on rollers and two shopping bags. Filled them all and then some. When we got home, I started some Ribollita soup. It’s a Tuscan vegetable soup with bread…and I added a chicken leg and thigh. We will have it for dinner tomorrow night. I know those of you who know me are shocked and amazed to hear that I am cooking. Sunday night I am planning Grilled chicken, with onions and red bell peppers with capers.
The market was wonderful. Stall after stall with fresh fish, fresh meats, fresh vegetables, even a pasta stall with freshly made pasta and ravioli.
The plan tomorrow is to go to the Borghese Villa and see it. I have never been, so it will be a new treat for me.
Will report on it tomorrow night…and how the soup turned out.
Stay warm and write me a note when you can.

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.

The Holocaust memorials are called Stumble Stones…not stepping stones. Google will tell you more about these memorials all over Europe..

What a day! After breakfast, we went to the park near our apartment and caught the bus to the Coloseum. Walked around it for a bit and then walked up to the convent where I have stayed the last 3-4 years. Said hello to the nun who ‘mans’ the desk. she was pleased I stopped by. Walked down the street and saw the little Holocaust memorial…called,’Stepping Stones’. You can Google the story of these little memorials. At this one, there were about 20 people who were removed from the building and either shot or taken to Auswitz where they were killed. Each of 20 cobblestones are covered with brass plates with their names, date of birth and when and where and how they died.
Walked on to the Forum and the Vittorio Emanuele monument and on to Torre Argentina where Julius Cesare was assassinated. This is where the Cat Sanctuary of Rome is. I got to meet my kitty. For many years I have sent ‘cat support’ to help support these cats in Rome. Raptus is my 5th cat to support over the years. I got to meet her. She is shy and doesn’t like to be petted. She has 3 legs and gets around quite well. Anyone interested in adopting a cat in Rome – from a distance, let me know and I will get you set up. Sending about $20 a month to Best Friends in Utah will enable you to have a tax deduction. The Torre Argentina Sanctuary will find a nice kitty that will be yours and they send you a picture and a letter every 6 months or so. They do wonderful work…the kitties are well loved and cared for. And you have someone to come to Rome to visit…besides me!
We caught the same number bus back to our little park…or so we thought. The original bus ride to the Coloseum took about 20 minutes. The ride home took 2 and a half hours! And a change of bus. We will not do that again!
It was a beautiful sunny and almost warm day. Tomorrow we go to see if we can get our official paperwork translated to go to the Police so we can get our residence permit.
Had a delicious dinner…sausage and pasta, salad and Andy’s red wine…and I had a glass of creamy lemoncello.
Getting ready to sew a bit on my Squash Quilt and hit the hay.
Buona Notte – Good Night.

We are settling in. Yesterday we had our leasing lady, Gabrielle, come by to show us again how to turn on the heat and work the stove and elevator. I nearly froze to death the night before.
Now we start the fun dealing with the Italian governmental red tape, for which they are infamous. We went to the post office and took a number. One number is for the paper work we need to get our residence permit. Another number for the line to open a bank account. We got to the front of the line for the permit packet and the woman has no idea what we are talking about. Fortunately, we had met a lovely lady who does translations for diplomats and the G8 and she came to our aid. The clerk knew exactly what she was talking about and gave us our packets….all in Italian. With pages and pages of instructions. Now we have to go to a CAF office to pay them to translate it all for us and help us fill it out. Then the post office mails it to the Police (30€). The police review it and send us a letter telling where and when to show up with all the paperwork we had for the Visa…and more. They take all of that, plus more Euros, and eventually will mail us our Elective Residence Permit. When we go back to the CAF – did I mention how all of the offices are closed from 22Dec to 7Jan for Xmas Holiday- we have to have our address. We have the street name and building number, but no one seems to know the apartment number or which mailbox is ours.
We had Chinese food for lunch, wonderful noodles and crispy duck. Then we went shopping at the Todis store. Lots cheaper than our local little markets. It’s a good thing we weren’t hungry when we got there…as we nearly bought out the store on full stomachs.
We can’t find a Crock Pot here in Rome. If we were more entrepreneurial, we would be having them made for Italy.
The weather is nice here…sunshine and cool…not real cold.
We are doing lots of walking checking out our ‘hood’. Everyone has been so nice.
We have done a couple of loads of wash. No dryer (or oven) because of high electricity use. We have drying racks and it takes forever to dry our stuff.
Andy’s hitting the wine…its after 5 here. I’m going to do a little quilting and relax. More later…

When we arrived in Rome, we were met by two gentlemen who were our drivers to the apartment. They took our bags up to the 2nd floor – thank goodness, because they were so heavy. When I checked in at the airport, I was told my big bag was 15lbs overweight. So I took out 15 pounds of stuff and put it in my small carryon suitcase and backpack. Both were already full, but never underestimate my packing talents if it will save me $60!
The drivers dropped us off at Borgo Vittorio 27 and tried to get the key to work. Thank goodness I had seen the apartment in May, because I knew he wasn’t at the right address. I walked down a bit, and saw 27A which is our building. We got in and our leasing lady came and gave us our keys and showed us most of the stuff in our flat.
I took the small bedroom and am very happy in it. Good bed and great pillows. I slept until noon. Andy was up early and puttered until she went out to explore at noon. When she came back, we went to eat lunch. She had eggplant Parmesan and I had pasta with a big blob of soft cheese. Both very good. The little restaurant will be a favorite, I think. Everything made fresh daily, about 5 items on the menu and very good. We walked around and did a bit of shopping to stock our pantry. Vinegar and oil, garlic, salt, etc. We have nice little grocery marts near our flat, and many nice restaurants. Hair salons, shoe store, Thai massage place, post office, gelato, and kitchen appliance store. We are trying to find a crock pot, but no luck so far.
We bought a wall clock, so we might know what time it is…our phones and iPad are still on US time. Strange.
I think I will do some cooking for our dinner tomorrow. Pasta sauce with Italian sausage.
Hope all is well at home. It is chilly here but not really cold.
Buona Notte! Good night.