Good stuff and...bad stuff

I was actually NOT going to write today because I am in a dark mood...yesterday, at our neighborhood bus stop we were pick pocketed! You see...that poster I saw the other day on the way to Piazza del Popolo was not wrong!!!! We "thought" we were being careful but I think we began to enjoy the sunshine and the easy way to get around and we let down our guard! I feel so violated but then at least we are not in the hospital or something like that. It was a learning moment for us...you should see how we are HAWKS now...and we are on a much tighter Rome budget but it STILL makes me MAD!!!

So...on to other things. Our apartment here is quite roomy with really high ceiling (12 ft at least) with wood beams. This is the building from outside:

we have the three windows on the second floor (first floor here) to the left of the door. It is really quiet and we are close to many things by foot and others by a selection of buses.

Here is what I look at while I have breakfast at the table :

See the church tower up there? The bells ring every evening.

We have a narrow tiled bathroom with a bidet:

The bedroom has tall armoires...sort of built in, and a sleeping loft above the bed where you can stand up so you can picture how high the ceilings are. This is the area that leads to the bathroom and the bedroom is on the left:

I think you can actually sleep 4-6 here if two people agree to sleep on the sofa bed in the living room.

If you want to cook, however, you must be very inventive. The cooking pots and pans are few and they are really pretty bad...we actually went out and bought a Bialetti saute pan to use which we will bring home with us. There is no cutting board or anything for chopping stuff but there are two cork screws for the wine! I guess we know what is important! The pot for cooking pasta has a cover that slips off mid boil if you happen to touch it by accident. Here is a view of the saltimbocca I "tried" to make for lunch the other day: see the pasta pot on the left? the lid just slid off to the floor (not pictured ;-))....

I really had to be creative with utensils...is that how a good chef is born??!! Well, lunch was okay and I was just glad I did not have to do the dishes

The dish drainer is in a cupboard above the sink which is a great idea in this small kitchen. Owhever, if you move the faucet over while rinsing the water goes onto the blue part and spills over onto the floor and your shoes...we are learning how to work around all of this! Plus...the pasta you can buy here is so varied and delicioso!

Well buon appetito to you!