Monday after Rome

Monday post-Rome. Our apartment's kitchen sink has developed a clog. Larry went down to get some liquid drain cleaner and expanded his Italian vocabulary a bit after struggling with a quirky internet connection earlier in the morning. Turns out the liquid stuff was WAY too powerful for the thin plastic drain tube! OOOPS! After cleaning up the mess, off to the hardware store (just a couple of doors down conveniently enough) hoping to buy a new drain tube. The guy had 'em in stock so after an extra trip to buy a tube of silicon seal after discovering just how crude a job the original installation was (Larry hates plumbing - way too crude and haphazard, he thinks perhaps the Italian zenith of hydraulics might have been during the Roman Empire!) we were leak-free but still with a slow drain. Our landlord or padrone was due to come by for the rent so we mentioned this problem. At least now the drain's not totally stopped up so we're getting by. Turns out this is his first and only rental property and we are the first tenants -- so all the quirks the real estate seller never told him about are being exposed by Larry & Heather. He fiddled around with the doorbell too, but no luck there either. So our few Viterbo friends will just have to continue to phone us or throw a rock against the window to be let into the building. After these frustrations pranzo was in order - some wonderful pasta e fagioli zuppa. Larry took his bike out into the cold but clear and sunny day after lunch, wearing pretty much every piece of cycling clothing he brought! The views were gorgeous as the recent rains had cleared the skies - too bad he forgot the camera so you'll have to settle for this view from Piazza Navona in Rome. But in the end it was a pretty darn good day -- though we hope the idraulico (plumber) shows up soon.