Saluti!

My view walking to school everyday.  Not too bad.  

Ciao my friends!  I have been slacking on blogging out, my apologies!

Last week we had some weather, a wild TEMPORALE (storm).  It rained like crazy & there was a lot of flooding throughout the city causing mass transit problems.  I guess every fall with the first big rain there is an issue because leaves have been falling & covering up gutters & such.  All I know was that there was a big pile of mud, MANGO, on my street corner.  Since I walk everywhere I wasn't affected much, I thought it was a great storm including lots of thunder & lightning!

here you can see the Tiber level before the storm

here you can see it after the storm, right up to the bike path!

With the help of my sister's online research I was able to locate an exotic foods store to acquire some of my favorite asian delights including... sriracha!  I also found rice noodles, wakame, sesame oil, rice vinegar, tahini, green curry, coconut oil...  It was cheap & I was happy to see that seaweed.  

I have grown fond of gnocchi.  Here is my version, lots more veg than gnocchi.

The other weekend I bought a cute, used bike!  With the help of an Italian friend I purchased this sweet, old thing.  It is a FRANCHI, has anyone ever heard of that brand before?  It quite old.  I was told I got a good deal on the price but, in the US I think this bike would have been less.  I think it could still be a little taller but the merchant wouldn't raise the seat any higher.  I tried to explain to him about the length of my legs...

My dad is mailing some safety equipment for the bike.

So far, no problems biking in town.  Other than the fact that I am scared someone is going to swipe it.  It's just like I'm back in Oakland parking at the Ashby bart station.  I am frequently seeing locks that have been cut & U-locks with just the tire remaining...  Cars seem to be pretty aware of bicycles, it is the pedestrians in the center of town that you really have to watch out for.  In particular, the tourists!

I went for a nice bike ride outside of town on the Appian Way.  Appia Antica is a popular lane for strolling & biking on the weekend to get a feel for what an ancient roman road would be like.  Also, it is nice to get out of the chaos of the city to see some open expanses.  It is closed to cars on Sunday, the day I went.  I actually can't imagine cars can drive on those stones very easily.  I think the ancient Roman roads are like, the oldest roads in existence & it is an engineering wonder that they are stll around.  Also, the acqueducts...

Appian Way may have been the first "paved" road ever!  There are a few catacombs along it that I will get around to visiting sometime.  I guess that due to some Roman law christians were not allowed to be buried in the city & they shipped them out to these catacombs.  Unlike pagans who favored cremations, the christians preferred a proper catacomb with all their buddies.  

a ruin

here is what the Appian way looks like most of the time, cobbled with San pietrini stones.

It is quaint!  The ride is a bit bumpy though.

and in many places the cobbles are these big basalt suckers, a real crotch buster!  Many people were riding mountain bikes (good call) and in many sections there were also dirt paths alongside the "road". 

whizzing along on a busier, but still bumpy road.  

Nothing like an REI exists here as far as I know & it seems a lot more difficult to get any outdoor gear. And of course...  everything is more expensive.  Go figure!

In other news, it turns out that I am still on my unpaid, stressful vacation in terms of the work situ.  There has been a real big problem with getting the ok to start work in a couple of different locations.  It gives me a huge headache to tell you the truth!!!  We are now having to move the Xray unit here to a different location, actually an earlier proposed location for the clinic.  I likely won't start actual work until mid-December.  I am beyond frustration but, there is not much I can do.  I am at the mercy of Italians.  I feel I have at least negotiated a decent living wage until then.  Keep a good thought in your head for me.  I truly hope to persevere & make this venture a success!

Not to say that living here for the time being hasn't been a life success of some type, just not what I imagined.  I've been here 2 months @ this point.  On a happy note, I have about 3.5 friends & I love learning Italian!  And, I just took a nice weekend trip that I will share with you presently.

Grazie & baci! xx