I am not going with the apartment I had originally had in mind. As of Friday Sept.30th I will be living in an area called Parioli with a woman and her 15-year-old son. She had invited me over for dinner this past Saturday night, and from the moment I met her and walked into her house I felt completely at home. She is such a warm, vibrant, and funny woman. That was the best night I have had here yet. She had three of her girlfriends over and the five of us had so much fun together (the rigatoni alla carbonara was delicious). At the end of the night she drove me back to my hotel and we ended up getting lost. We turned down Via della Conciliazione and there it was…the Basilica San Pietro by night. I was completely consumed by the sight and had no power to take my eyes off of it. It is 100x more beautiful at night than during the day. Actually, Rome itself is amazing by night.
Cultural Note: At the post office, you don’t just walk up to the counter for service. There is a ticket machine that gives you a number and when your number is announced you can go up to the counter.
Ultimate Sight: As I was standing at the bus stop waiting for the bus to arrive for the past 30 minutes, I thoroughly enjoyed watching men in tailored suits and women in high heels and skirts driving on their scooters to work.
