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 :)