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.