Let me show you where I live

Shortly after I moved into the Casa Santa Maria I shared a few pictures showing how I had set up my simple room. Since that time, I have twice changed rooms; first to a set of double rooms and, second, to a larger set of double rooms. I do not seem to have taken pictures of my second home at the Casa, but I thought today I would share a few pictures of my current sitting room/study.

Over the weekend another priest and I, who had also recently changed rooms, took a trip to Porta di Roma to buy a few pieces of furniture from Ikea (both because it wouldn't be extremely expensive and because they deliver) and pick up a few other odds and ends for our rooms (such as tools, picture frames, etc.).

Half of my new room, the more comfortable part, is set up as a sitting room. When I leave my bed room, this is what I see:

The ugly flowery chair is "standard issue." When I find another chair I like it will be gone.

When entering from the hallway, my view is a bit different:

It's amazing how much more comfortable a room becomes simply by adding a couch (on which I am laying now) and an area rug. Now I don't mind spending hours in my room (or risk falling asleep while reading on my bed!).

The window above the couch lets in an excellent breeze and also has a good view into the courtyard:

The other half of the room is set up as a sort of office/study:

Once I find a proper rod (which is proving quite difficult in Rome), I will hang a tapestry of Father Damien above the table with the phones (I'm not sure why there are two phones. The one on the left works. The one on the right is a VOIP phone, but does not work. We've been continually assured [since at least the middle of July] that these phones will be working soon with a U.S. telephone number. I keep it out in the hope that it will soon be functional).

As ever before, my books (what sad few I brought with me and since collected) are not far away (the door leads to my bedroom):

In recent days the tourists have returned to the Eternal City (the Roman streets had been quite pleasant without them over the last couple of weeks) so I thought I would place a simple reminder to see as I leave my room to go to class, or to the chapel, or to dinner, or throughout the city:

In case you cannot read the sign, it says, "Keep calm and aloha on." It's actually a postcard sent from one of my good Hawaiian friends.