04 August 2008

new flat

Okay, okay...but it's not as exciting as you are making it out to be.

Here's my building again.

But, instead of having the top four windows on the left-hand side, now you go in through the center gate (under the middle balcony) and enter the courtyard. (It's too narrow between the back of the part of the building I used to live in and the center part of the building for me to take a picture of it all. It's a narrow, rectangular space. Below is about one-third of the courtyard.) These doors used to belong to the stable. (Obviously, they're being restored as we photographed.) I walk through the tunnel to the right of the doors.

Coming out of the tunnel, the courtyard greenspace we were teased with is on the left (I didn't take this picture--the realtor did in November. There were people on the benches the day I did this photo-essay for you, so I didn't photograph it. I am not suitably dressed to go out of the house and re-take this picture for you today.) but I go to the right, through this little tunnel

into my courtyard, turning right again after the tunnel. That's my door on the far right. Can you see that my flat is below ground-level from these pix? You go two step down from the entry level. Nice security bars. And I really do have the nicest windows. The door on the left, under my bedroom and beside my living room, has a loud beeping security system. And, as we can tell by the white plates, neither of those cars parked right outside my flat is mine.

And these are my noisy upstairs neighbors. I can hear e-v-e-r-ything that goes on up there. Seriously. Sometimes I wake up thinking there's someone in my room. (That hasn't happened in a while. I must be acclimating.)

This is what you see if you stand with your back against my door. (Remember, it is my own door. That's very nice! It's one of those little things that ex-pat living makes me appreciate.)You can't see this much sky from inside the house. Wasn't it a beautiful sky this day?

This is looking up, to try to show you the well-like quality of my courtyard.
See what I mean when I said that I went from the family's rooms to the working part of the house? I bought a shopping cart (I call them babushka bags) to get groceries from the street to my door--with a hand still free for d2b. In the winter I'm going to use a sled. ;>

I don't really have before and after pix of the inside of my new flat...because I never saw it "before" and I don't know if I'll ever make it to "after". But, I do have pix of "boxes" and "later" (which I just took for you today). I'll post those for you tomorrow. I'd do a slide show, but I think I need to commentate.

6 comments:

sandy said...

Wow! I never would have imagined that there would be all of that behind the streetfront you showed in the first picture. When do you think the buildings were constructed... perhaps 1800's or very early 1900's? What a network on the inside... It's very intriguing! Thank you for sharing the photos with us. Now I'm curious about the inside!

Unknown said...

I suppose it is the "small town girl" in me that LOVES when you do a post like this. Tomorrow, can you basically just walk around and take pictures of your day and let us all stalk you? I am just so cuuuuurrrious....

(in case any of this sounded sarcastic, let me assure you that I mean it and am fascinated - I have told you this before. If you want me to take pics while at Mboro Kroger or the pick up line at kindergarten/1st grade/preschool I sure will. Or hey, maybe me cleaning my house. Oh, wait, I am supposed to be doing this now. I will snap a pic of my dirty laundry for you.)

Anonymous said...

Well, having had the opportunity to walk around those parts, I still think your flat is cool. And you can give those cars parked outside some flat tires...be Bronx,Kate, be Bronx...and I love the new kitty. Its name shall be Caligula.

Tami said...

I like it. Yea...you don't have much sunlight, but it has character. It kind of reminds me of my apartment in Odessa. Love the kitty! :)

Tina in CT said...

I second what Sandy and Annemarie wrote. Thanks for sharing.

Holly said...

It's a dinky place, isn't it? I like the decor though. You should see my kitchen at my house in NV...it's even smaller, and that's a house.

Not to beg or anything, but I wanna see more pics of Mia. Did you decide on her name yet? Can't tell you how much I wish I could have a cat again, I'm so jealous! (Mom's allergic and we're living with her until my house sells).