My tweets

• Sun, 16:33: Breakfast spread is nice at the Hotel Mascagni--I had scrambled eggs w mushrooms, eggplant in tomato sauce, cream-filled sfogliatelle.
• Sun, 16:33: Energy conservation measure: dongle on ring w room key goes in slot near door. If not in place, room lights don't work.
• Sun, 16:36: Bought day passes for bus/Metro, caught 64 bus to Castel San'Angelo. Paused to look at Tiber, turbid from yesterday's rain.
• Sun, 16:36: Only got to 3rd level of 5 at Castel San'Angelo, even skipping lots. Must come back some day. Walked to Metro via St. Peter's.
• Sun, 16:39: Lunch at Cafe Leonardo pizzeria near Spanish Steps after meeting up with L 30 min late. Bruschettoni with prosciutto, arugula, Parmesan.
• Sun, 16:41: Now a group of 7, off to Colosseum via Metro. Waiting in ticket line, heard offer of spaces on tour that includes lower level. Yes!
• Sun, 16:41: Tour led by archeologist in English, handsets provided so you can hear w/o clustering around guide. Great tour fr lower level to 3rd.
• Sun, 16:46: Went fr Colosseum to hotel, 5 of us went on to L's pick for best gelato in Rome, I Caruso. Small cup almond & dk chocolate, w cream. Yum!
• Sun, 17:11: Found @ gelato place that my wallet is gone, prob lost @ Colosseum. Credit card not used yet, Chase sending new one to next hotel.
• Sun, 17:12: Rest of wallet: cash is a loss, assume debit card is unusable, also lost drivers license & health ins card. A hassle, not a disaster.

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Viterbo

I'm sticking in a full LJ post amid the tweets, as I have a reasonable Internet connection and some time. Though as I just lost a long draft of this post, the recreation may be more succinct. You're welcome...

Today was our one full day in Viterbo, a medieval walled city that was a seat of popes in the 13th century, and now among other things is the site of L's school for this year of high school. Our hotel is just outside the wall (got a nice view of the very high wall from my window--the top is a little above this 2nd floor (US 3rd floor) room height). We're right at Porta (gate) Fiorentina for easy access to the old city.

( Gee, this post isn't very short after all... )

Tonight will be at L's host family's apartment, and will be the traditional Italian Christmas Eve fish meal. Whether it will be the "Feast of the 7/9/13 (pick your odd number) Fishes" I've googled about, or just a few fish dishes, I don't know. It will be the 7 of us (counting L), 4 + Nonna (grandmother) from the host family, and 13 other guests for a party of 25. Also unknown is whether any of the other guests will have any English. Of the host family, the mom has a few phrases and the 13 year old has pretty good school-girl English--she and L can sometimes jointly work out a translation when neither alone gets there completely. Anyway, we are prepared with gifts for the host family and our smiles, which provides a pretty universal language.