Italy requires non-citizens planning to stay longer than 3 months to appear at the local police station within 8 days of arrival. Subsequently, we learned that instead of an actual appearance, we had to fill out a packet of papers, pay some fees, and mail the packet to the police station. 

To pay most fees, and send packages to the government, you have to stand in line outside the post office--because of COVID. They let one person per service window in the building at a time.  It takes about 1-2 hours to get to the front of the line.  Our first trip in, we had to pay a fee of 32 euros, then take the receipt and photocopy it, and put it in the packet. We're required to keep the original. They don't have photocopiers in the Post Office, so you have to go find one, then come back and get in line again. (I bought a printer on Wednesday that allowed us to make photocopies.)

When applicants send the packet off, they get an appointment for when they are to appear at the police station--they still require the personal appearance--this just reduces the chaos.

Our second time to the front of the line, we learned that the packet has to be mailed in a special envelope sold at the Post Office--but they were all out.  I asked how would I find this envelope?  They said, "Start checking other post offices because they are really hard to find!"  

I left Robyn, got on my bike and started riding all over creation.  About 5 miles away--at my third post office of the day--I arrived 5 minutes before they closed for siesta. (They don't call it siesta--but that's what it is.) All the post offices close at 12:35 or 2:10 pm. Some re-open later in the day. When I got inside, (strangely, there was no line) lady behind the service window said they were fresh out of special envelopes as well.  

I asked her if she knew where there would surely be envelopes.  She said an address, but I really have trouble understanding through the surgical masks (required to be worn by everyone) and asked her to repeat it.  The reiteration was no help so I asked if she would write the address down for me. She was more than happy to oblige and handed me this:

I looked at the message and thought to myself, "What a perfect end to this day! I couldn't wait to ride my bike home and see if Robyn could decipher it.  

Robyn is smart and she got right on it.  She asked Google for a list of post offices in the Rome area. She then checked all the addresses for the number 136.  Voila! There it was, a 30-minute bus trip from our apartment.  Here is what the note is alleged to say: "Viale Adriatico 136." Now tell me that's just bleedin' obvious. Below that primary address is the Italian zip code; but we're still working on that part.

We learned that that particular post office remains open until 7:00 pm and we had just enough time to take the bus there to see if they had envelopes.  Half-way there, our friend Dario, who has helped us immeasurably, called to say that the financial secretary for the Rome Mission dropped off some envelopes for us at the temple visitor center--which just happened to be the next bus stop. Armed with the new envelopes, we went back to the post office first thing Saturday morning and got in line. They accepted everything and we're completely legal now.

Pensala Come Un'Avventura!!

Friday, January 28th: When beginning to learn Italian, I subscribed to a daily email called "The Italian Word of the Day". It has been fun and educational. Having been in Rome for over a week, I feel qualified to proffer my own "Word of the Day": Avventura. I find myself thinking this word quite often. At home, I would tell the grandkids, "Think of it as an adventure!" while trying to give a positive spin to a less than awesome happening. Avventura is the word for adventure. Pensala come un'avventura - Think of it as an adventure.

Every day comes with its own adventures. I have a riddle for you: How is living in Rome like going to girls' camp? No electricity, no heat, no hot water, no showers, lots of junk food...I could go on. One thing that is different is that we don't worry about bears. In Rome they have no bears, but they do have thousands of cinghiali, which are wild boars and the reason our friends said not to wander around outside at night. They come out to eat the trash, which is all over the place.

The other morning Almer happened upon a group of men avidly watching the garbage truck taking away the trash. I can only surmise that it is such a rare and holy experience that they were arrested by the sight. Seriously, if the trash dumpsters or cans are full you just drop your garbage on the ground somewhere close to the receptacles. There are at least six different kinds of cans: paper, plastic, organic (compostable), metals, mixed (non recyclable), glass, and even clothing. I now have all these lovely black  receptacles with different colored lids, but have I been using them for trash? Nope. I've been using them as solar heaters for water to wash dishes, bodies, hair, etc. It never gets really warm, but it's better than straight from the cold water tap, hence the girls' camp reference.

Saturday, January 29th: Happy Birthday, Jody! I tried to get stamps to send you a card, one of the five times in the last two days we have been to the post office (did I mention that each time you go you have to stand outside for at least an hour?), but it seems I need to go to the Tabbachio (tobacco seller) to get stamps and the cartoleria (paper seller) to get a card. I still have no idea how much it costs to send a letter to the U.S.

We are still using the next door neighbor's electricity, so I can't use my stove or more than a couple of lights at a time, or it will blow her circuits. We offered Valeria 100 euros to let us use her power for a week and she said, "Assolutamente, no!" about the money and "si" about using her power. The gas man came yesterday, and fixed our gas, so we now have heat and hot water. What a blessing!!!!! The whole adventure thing smells so much better around here. ;)

No gelato yet. I walked to a mall on Friday to get Robyn's phone equipped for cellular service in Italy. It was about a five mile walk and I realized when I got there that I was too old and tired to walk back; so I bought a bicycle at the mall and rode home.

They were very gracious and helped me get it ready to ride by pumping up the tires, putting the pedals on, and aligning the handlebars with the front wheel.  I bought a safety helmet but forgot two things: a bike lock, and to tighten the seat at a height that fits me.  The first two days, I would set the seat in place, tighten it by hand and then ride. After about 50 feet my butt was lower than the handlebars and my knees were higher than my ears.  I worked on it for a while Saturday evening and it's stayed in place since then.

It came in very handy in going back and forth between our hotel and the apartment. It's about a 10 minute walk to our apartment and a 3 minute bike ride. Robyn's opposed to riding a bike--not so much riding as crashing which she does when she tries to ride. I made several trips on Friday and Saturday taking things we didn't need from the hotel to the apartment to make our suitcases a little lighter.

This morning, we hired a taxi to move us the half mile to our apartment. Robyn told how Dario and Alba saved us from having to shut down at dark (5:30 pm). These angel friends have been working tirelessly to help us get here and be comfortable. 

I have joked that it's been a war of will between us and the Italian bureaucracy and we finally won. In reality, there have been many battles, and the general who has been directing things, Dario, has been the real victor.  

Italy has a national mask mandate requiring a specific type of mask for all activity outside of the home.  One of the members who has been helping us told me that a significant number of the saints have opted not to get vaccinated. A woman who worked in the temple laundry didn't want to get vaccinated and she died last week from COVID.  Robyn and I have had the two Pfizer shots and a subsequent booster. I hope we stay safe. 

Hello from our quickly darkening apartment in Rome! As with just about everything else on this adventure, there is a story behind that statement. We moved out of our hotel this morning, after four days, where we had the supreme luxury of electricity, hot water, and heat. Because of covid, we have been told no one will be able to come hook up our utilities until January 31st, which translates to no lights, heat, or hot water in our place for a week.

We are 8 hours ahead of our folks in the Stati Uniti, so while my computer says it is nearly 9a.m. in the west, it is 5p.m. in Rome and I will be in the dark soon. We have offered our neighbor, Valeria, 100 euros to let us hook up to her electricity until we get our own. 

Two hours later: Our friends, Dario and Alba came and took us to a Home Depot look-alike to buy a long length of electrical cable and a special plug, that hooked into our electrical box and went through a hole in our wall, out to the balcony and then over to the neighbor's balcony and into her apartment. After a few tense moments, Voila! (That's not Italian) we had lights. The hot water and heat are still in question, but it's not super cold here and the sun comes in most of the day. Almer told me that we could go to the temple patron housing to shower if we need to. That was absolutely not my biggest worry! My biggest concern was that my phone would be dead and I couldn't see and talk to my grandkids for a week. Seriously, that may have been a deal breaker!

Ciao for now :)