odds ends and beginnings

I haven't been able to post pics this week because I have to purchase more storage space for this blog its bullshit in my opinion because upon starting the blog there is no mention of limited space but o well.  I will be posting pics of "The Dying City" in a little town called Bangnoregio about an hour outside Viterbo.  However in the meantime, a word about the train system in Italy.  On Sunday we were supposed to go to Rome to see a Van Gogh exhibition, so I figured I'd wait til sunday to get my ticket before we got on the train, I am aware that the ticket window and cafe which both sell tickets would be closed but there are self service ticket machines outside the station that you can use to purchase tickets.  So about 40 minutes before the train leaves we walk up to the station only to find everything closed as anticipated and the self service machine conveniently out of order.  Also its good to know that even though most Italians don't attend church, the whole town pretty much shuts down on sundays.  I've since learned from the first weekend here to stock up on food on saturdays because that first sunday we didnt have anything to eat and walked all over town to find anything and to our dismay everything is deserted.  So back to this past sunday, we frantically, maybe not so, run around town trying to find anyone who will sell us a BIRG ticket, good for a round trip to Rome as well as the metro system, with no luck.  So with that behind us and shrugged off we set out to make the best of our day.  One of the girls we were supposed to go with suggested her rooftop terrace would be a worthy alternative, it being the most beautiful day so far here, sounded like a great option.  So we went out got a few bottles of wine some cheese, prosciutto, and fresh bread and commenced towards a full stomach, sun burned face, and a mean buzz.  A great day ended in all of us tranced in amazement watching the blood red sun flash its last rays of the day over the arid central italian landscape and multi leveled terra-cotta tiled roofs and terraces.  Much better than the hectic Rome rat race I would say.