002 sono arrivata a roma

After a crazy week of tying up loose ends at work, moving out, closing on a condo, moving in, going to ICOMOS orientation in DC, unpacking, and repacking for 3 months, I am here at my new 'home' in Rome. I am living with a woman named Delfina, actually letting 1 room in her two bedroom apartment. The location is in the north of the city, close to the Ottaviano metro stop. After landing at Fiumicino, I took a train for EUR 9,50 into Termini. Luckily I had read in my tourist book that you have to validate the ticket with automatic stamping machines so I didn't make a scene like some American tourists sitting close to me when the train guy checked my ticket. At the main train station, Termini, I bought a phone card. After trying a number of combinations of preceding Delfina's mobile number with 06, 1, 0, deleting the leading 3, I made contact with her and headed via the Metro to the apartment. I set the apartment up over the internet, so I was really relieved that Delfina & Diana are real people and not scam artists. At least so far. ;)

I have a simple little room with a desk, bed, dresser & closet in a very typical Roman apartment building - 4 wings around a central courtyard & about 10 stories high. The stucco finish is painted a pale yellow and there are green shutters on each window, some open, others closed, but most with plants and/or laundry hanging in the window.

Part of my deal with Delfina is that she buys all the food and cooks all the food. (She is vegetarian & Kosher, so it's pretty restrictive.) last night she made pasta, followed by a quiche with peas & another with pumpkin, then mustard greens, a salad, & sauteed pepperoncini. She tried to cut up a cantaloupe afterwards but I had to refuse...