In Rome the sunrise was at 06:07 and it set at 18:27. The Ave Maria bell ought to ring at 18:45 in this cycle. But it won’t. Too bad. We need more Ave Maria bells and less … whatever it is we are getting.
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Today was a quiet day. I had some writing to do. I went for errands and then tried to solve the problem of not having hot water. The gizmo that heats the water seemed to be functioning. It turns out that… oh well… I’ve got it.
Me looking at the heater, while scaffolds are being assembled in the internal courtyard. You can’t believe the noise.
Ivy is starting up.
Breakfast.
What I did not choose at this Sicilian place.
Lunch, fast. Tuna, capers, fresh tomatoes, garlic, pepperoncino. More carbs today than in a week back home.
Stations of the Cross at the parish tonight.
After Stations members of the Archconfraternity finishing singing before a relic of the Cross.
After Stations The Great Roman™ joined me and friends for some non-meat fare at a good Roman Sicilian place. Appetizer… moscardini.
Mine, a sort of soup of mixed shells.
Meanwhile, white to move and mate in 4.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
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Today I said Mass for my Roman donors.
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Is the Moscardini an octopus dish? It looks wonderful.
Did you eat the raw garlic.
Yes, moscardini are little octopi.
No, I did not eat the raw garlic cloves, though I am not against the idea. That “fist” of garlic sort of photobombed the pasta in the clear bowl (which is the bowl that was at hand).
I love your blog when you are in Rome.
As to your chess problem, it is complicated. A key to it, I think, is getting Black’s Knight out of the way — so White can try a sacrifice of his Rook:
1. Re8+ Black does not have any good alternatives to accepting the sacrifice.
If he tries 1. . . . . Kh7, 2. Rh8+ is mate; and if he plays 1. . . . Kf7, Rf8+ mates.
So Black has to play 1. . . . NxR. Then White continues with
2. Ne7+, and Black’s goose is cooked. His only move is Kh8, whereupon White plays
3. Qf8+. Black has to play Kh7, whereupon White mates with 4. Qg8#.
I’m a little jealous; my work isn’t taking me to Europe nearly so often. Hope you have a good trip.