Adjusting

I think the majority of our inprocessing is done now. We finally got our ID cards on Wednesday and things have been much easier since then. We still don't quite have the sleeping schedule down but other than that we are adjusting well. Once I find a good wine supplier I'm sure things will get even better.
Last Saturday we spent looking at houses and sleeping but Sunday we got out and did a bit of sightseeing. We went into Vicenza by bus and caught the train to Venice. The train station brings you to the bridge that crosses the lagoon taking you into Venice proper, so we get out of the train station and we are there! Because it was Sunday there were not all that many shops open but that was okay. It gave us a chance to walk around and orient ourselves without a mass of tourists. We didn't do anything special and didn't try to follow the map/maze of the city that we came with, we just wandered and enjoyed the view. Eventually we found our way back to the train station and made our way home. All in all the experience was a bit sureal - we just went to Venice for the afternoon!
Tuesday was Bills birthday so after doing our daily romp around post we went out for a nice dinner at Il Fauno. The Pasticco Lasagna was great (served with a cream sauce on top) and it is only a short stroll from post. We also stopped by MWR and rented a bicycle so Bill could explore the next couple of days while I work. He says he is now innitiated to Italian bicycling and it is a completely different experience. Although Italians drive crazy they have more respect for individuals on two wheels. He even navigated several traffic circles and lived to tell about it!
Thursday we had Driver Orientation training. We found out that Italians are required to go through 6 months of drivers training and pay 2ooo Euro to get their license. No wonder there are so many people who ride bikes. BUT, it explains how they can drive like mad men and never seem to kill each other.
Today Bill went to take his Drivers Test and PASSED! YEAH!!! He is now qualified to drive on any Italian roadway. I plan to take the test next week. Hopefully I'll pass too, if not I'll have a long walk to work everyday!!
We are scheduled to move into the house the end of June. There is painting to be done and some light fixtures need to be replaced. The inspectors will need to go in and do a survey and then the contracts will be written. The official negoiation meeting is on Monday but pretty much everything is already settled, it is now just a matter of putting it in writing. We are very excited about the house. It is convenient to both Vicenza and Padova and there is a BIG bike shop in town. The name of the town is Mestrino. It is small but has everything necessary and is close to the city for things that can't be had locally.
Apparently power outages are an issue here. Wednesday night the power went out for the 2nd time. It seems that it remains off for a few hours each time and both times have been at night. I guess they figure you should be sleeping anyway. The Italians are very aware of energy usage and conserve as much as possible. They view Americans as being quite wasteful and can't believe how much energy we use for things like air conditioning, laundry, large appliances, TV's, etc. It is going to take some getting used to. Our new house has a washer but the dryer is a clothsline in the back yard. I'm going to have to see if they can retrofit a dryer - yes, I'm a wasteful American but I don't like waiting three days for my jeans to get dry and then having them feel like cardboard. Remind me of this conversation in a few years when I've adjusted. I'm sure I'll look back and laugh at myself - just being a typical newbee!
This weekend Bill heads back to New York, leaving me in the hands of the crazy Italians. I'll be staying in the hotel until the end of June when we move to the house (no good food or wine in/near the hotel). Bill should be back shortly after that and can help get settled in. Me and the kitties will miss him but I'm sure that Chandler, Leo and Rachi will be happy to have him home.

Ciao!
LeAnn & Bill