For the first week, we were mostly around Umbertide; I did a few errands to update things in the house, getting a new small smart TV and a Wi-Fi router. Problems with the latter: at first I understood that I should just plug it in and wait for the final light to change from red to white. Then I saw that the included SIM card had to be inserted, but there was some ambiguity about which way to insert it. I made another trip to Città di Castello to check on that, another day to wait with no change, and another trip. Then they found that there was a difference in the incorrect way they had entered my name from when I first signed up with the TIM phone company in 2010; they'd started another incorrect way and it was keeping the service from starting. Another attempt: the light hadn't changed when we left for Rome, but I got a text confirming the connection once we were in Rome. In the meantime we were getting Wi-Fi service with the HipPocket portable router, delivered to us in the U.S. from France, which should also be good for the latter parts of the trip. To complete this part of the story, once we were back in Umbertide and the Wi-Fi was working, I tried to reset the password but found that I shouldn't start with what was labeled "Password" on the router label, but rather with "WLAN Key."
Anyway, on Wednesday we drove to Rome with the purpose of meeting Margaret's sister-in-law Barbara to take her back for the rest of the trip. We used points from the opening bonus of a credit card to book the Residenza in Farnese in the area familiar to us. I initially thought of parking at the Parcheggio Via Giulia in the area, but once we were in Italy I asked about the hotel's parking, it was open, and they would arrange a permit for the ZTL (restricted traffic zone). This was good because when we walked by the Via Giulia garage we found it full, although spaces open up regularly. I had my misgivings about driving into central Rome, but we went ahead. On the drive down, the worst problem was when we wanted to exit for a coffee at the Autogrill near the Roma Nord tollbooth, I took a regular exit and turning around meant paying an additional toll. In Rome I most feared the Lungotevere, which I think of as a racetrack without clear lanes, but I found it relatively orderly, with underpasses to avoid stoplights at the bridges. The Waze app had me leave the Lungotevere earlier than I'd expected, and I was turned around as to which direction we were going on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, but we made it to the hotel without hassle, with instructions to go around the block to where the parking gate would be open.
We had to do a little wandering before the room was ready; when it was we had some rest and a little more wandering in nearby Campo de' Fiori and Piazza Navona. In the evening we had a get-together with Cindy and Scott from the Slow groups: nice to have their company, we ate at La Carbonara on Campo de' Fiori, where I have 50 years of memories: a nice enough meal, but now I find it too touristy.
The next morning was Barbara's arrival. I wasn't going to drive to the airport to meet her if we were continuing to stay in Rome, so she arrived with a car service. It was raining that morning, and I decided to have some activity beyond staying in the hotel, so I went to the Van Gogh show that had just opened at the Palazzo Bonaparte on Piazza Venezia. It was most of the collection of the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo. It was fine to see, don't know if I'd call it essential; we'll be able to see the museum devoted to him in Amsterdam. The rain let up: a couple of pictures:
We had lunch at our favorite modest place across the river, Da Giovanni. There wasn't much for the rest of the day, just neighborhood wandering and a pizza dinner.
The next morning we drove back, and that drive was more difficult. With Margaret and Barbara talking I missed some directions from Waze, and there seemed to be pointless instructions to exit Corso di Francia, part of the established road out. So more difficult, but eventually back to this home, letting Barbara see our little town.
This is Saturday, Margaret feeling a bit unwell, Barbara has explored Umbertide, and then I drove her to the nearby town of Montone, a hilltown with peaceful old streets and some views:
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