The Apartment

I figured I would take some time to talk about the apartment, and get a few more photos up. The apartment is great for the most part, just a few minutes walk to the Duomo and the Centro Studi (chen-tro stoo-dee) or study center on the south west quarter of Orvieto. The apartment is clean but we have to climb some steep stairs to get to the apartment that get thiner as you continue up them. However, the haul up the stairs is worthwhile for the view it provides.

As far as everything functioning in the apartment, we were a little over possitive when we arrived. It took at least two days to figure out how to light our all gas stove with out burning myself. We started to make eggplant parmesan the third night and then came to realize that our oven does not work, it's not that we don't know how to work it, but it quite literaly is out of commission, Maggie found the plug, or what used to be the plug next to the oven, the plug part missing and bare stragling wires taped together. So for now we don't have an oven.

The following day we came to our next problem, the heater was making horrible sounds and was leaking a bit of water. Our resolve was to keep it off until we knew what was wrong. The apartment remained warm, being butted up against 4 other apartments but we did't not realize that the heater also provided our hot water. So now we have no hot water. The water was freezing, and I knew I would not be able to bear it. So I boiled a pot of water and used it that night to rinse my hair and body down. Let me say, it was quite the adventure as I stood there laughing over the stove with shampoo driping out of my hair.

Forchunately, the next day my professor said that their heater was loud too, so we decided to let it run so we could have hot water at least. After showers that evening we turned the heater off, but it continued to make loud banging noises all night, keeping Maggie and probably the neighbors up all night. Someone must have told our landlord because the next afternoon there was Max (the landlord) and a mechanic fixing the heater.

We figured out the TV, after a few tires. It seems that to turn it on, you don't push the power button but the channel UP button. I don't understand the reasoning, but if it works I won't complain.

The hair dryer we bought had the wrong plug so we have to use an adapter, and the water in Orvieto is not pottable for now. I hear it has aluminum in or something.

We are now battleing the washing machince, it just spun around with out any water. I believe Maggie finaly got it to work, or maybe not.

Now we are just hoping nothing else breaks, that the clothes line doesnt break, or that our beds don't break the frames.

Anyways, despite all the freak acts of appliances, I can not help but love Italy. The people are wonderful, especially the older couples at the Enoteca's and the cheese guy at the market. The scenery is beautiful and the weatehr has been holding up great, sunshine almost all week. Tomorrow we go to Rome for our first trip with Marco, we hear he can be a real beast, I hear he never get hungry, has to pee, or gets tired. I have to meet everyone at the train station at 7 so tomorrow will be an early morning.