We began our Monday having espresso with friends, meeting new friends and then discussing our volunteer activities with Gilberto.  The remainder of the day was pretty much spent meandering the ancient streets, still discovering.

To explain the photos, yes, that is a real trash truck and well-used broom. Quaint and efficient.

We found the parking photo quite practical.  This is the narrow, ancient Via Flaminia, constructed in 220 BC.  The Via Flaminia was an ancient Roman road used to cross the country to the Adriatic.  What other way to park on a narrow road, than on the sidewalk?!

We concluded our day with the Italian ritual La Passeggiata.  Each night, people take a leisurely stroll through the centro storico (historic center).  Some gather at the bar to watch the procession...watching for things to gossip about; it is where new romances are on display as well as new shoes.  It is a rather dressy affair and quite a nice thing to do before dinner.   We were told we missed a very exciting Passeggiata last night and promised we would not make that mistake again.

How to describe our weekend?  I would have to say, "delightfully normal".  Friday night's dinner out with Laurie and Norma, along with their friend, Sarah (a delightful dining companion), started our weekend perfectly. I love the hours of conversation, delicious food and laughter.  There is always laughter at dinner!

And what a Buon Compleanno it was!  After a final day of paperwork and running around town, we celebrated Steve's birthday... Italian style.

Aperitivi were followed by a spectacular dinner at Ristorante Sabatini on one of the main corso in Spoleto.  We dined on some of the most delicious food, thus far.  The gnocchi were potato sunshine.  The entire dining experience was exceptional.

A evening at the cinema followed, with a newly release movie, Bevenuti al Sud.
While it was high speed Italian, with a lot of Napoli dialect, we enjoyed it completely.  What we didn't understand we got by the reaction of the audience.  We found ourselves laughing more than we had in a very long time.  The theater, itself, was old school.  We sat in the balcony and if you wanted popcorn, it was microwaveable and you had to prepare it yourself.

The stroll home, through the deserted streets, made Steve's birthday magical for both of us!

Our day began with an intense storm and an electrical black out.  But embracing the normalcy of these events here, we began our day anyway. 

In order to stay, in Italy, for one year, we have eight days to register with the government for a Permesso di Soggiorno (permit to stay).  We went to the post office for the paperwork and had so many questions, we visited the local Polizia to get some answers.  With what Italian we could muster and the help of our Comune friend, Gilberto, we are now on the path to legal residency.  Needless-to-say, today was a day of some stress, followed by fun.

We met Laurie and Norma for caffè.   We then strolled the streets and window shopped while waiting for aperitivo time (happy hour).  There is a place, outside our apartment we wanted to experience, while trying to find a local red wine. Part of being in a new place is enjoying its traditions.  In Italy, having an aperitivo before dinner "wakes the stomach" for food.  A visit to the pasticceria completed the day.  Buon appetito!

Tranquility can be found in many places and we discovered it in the quaint, ancient Comune di Campello Sul Clitunno, a few miles from home. We dined at Parco del Clitunno Trattoria, located at a trout farm.  While we ate, children were lakeside, catching numerous fish.  It was quite entertaining.

Norma and Laurie have an ambitious goal of introducing us to their favorite eateries, people and vistas.  I'm pretty certain a year will not be enough time!  Steve and I are very willing to give it a try, however!

We had a rather diverse day:  grocery shopping; espresso in the public library; speaking to strangers (in Italian) and exploring some of the historic aspects of our town.

"Spoleto is a medieval hill town in central Italy famous for its summer music festival, Festival dei Due Mondi. Inhabited since prehistoric times, the lower parts of its wall are from the 6th century BC. The first Roman settlement, Spoletium, began in 241 BC and there are Roman remnants throughout Spoleto's historic center. Spoleto is a walled town built on a hillside with most of the sites in the compact upper town. Above Spoleto is a medieval Rocca and spanning the deep gorge to one side of the Rocca is Spoleto's most famous sight, Ponte delle Torri or Bridge of Towers."

Our friends Norma and Laurie arranged for the four of us to dine at Locanda Rovicciano. The only true way to 'kick off' a year in Spoleto!

Andrea is the chef/maître d' and Katiuscia is his wonderful wife/hostess/food server.  We met them when we were here, a year ago, and fell in love with them, their food, and the intimate setting of their gastronomic Eden.  It has begun!

Well, it's official... we are in Italy.  Our first two nights were spent in Rome, overcoming jetlag and spending time with our friends, Guenda and Maurizio.  Today, it was capuccini by the sea in Ostia.  It was the perfect way to be introduced to our new "home".