This is our home sweet, currently empty, home- all 50 square meters of it. I am trying to imagine it with colorful rugs, wooden bookshelves and paintings. It will soon feel nice and homey. Soon, meaning in about a month and a half. That is when our stuff should arrive from the US. In the mean time, I'm trying to decide what I should purchase to make the next few weeks comfortable. Curtains for one. There is a huge back yard, but that means a clear view of the neighbors. Thankfully they are nice. The sister of the owner has providence over that backyard greens space. I saw her and her husband early this evening walking around. They saw me too, so we chatted a bit - romeo and juliet style. They speak English, so everyone will be able to communicate- even Molly and Scout. I also recently (today) bought an air mattress. I braved the jungle that is Les Quatres Temps, a behemoth of a shopping mall that you get to after navigating a maze of metro tunnels. If getting from the metro to the shopping center doesn't tire you out, fighting the crowds in the Auchan store (France's version of a Wall Mart) will. There is nothing pleasant about shopping at a mall. The air is stale, the lighting is too dim, and the people too plentiful. I might have to brave it a few more times to get some of the things I need (a table and chair for example). I would order online, but I still haven't figured out how to get deliveries to your apartment when apartments don't have unit numbers. Do I just tell the store we are on the 1er etage (US second floor) unit on the right once you are facing the elevator? Really, France. How hard is it to put some permanent numbers on the doors, so that you can easily tell visitors and delivery folks where you live?
The apartment has great potential. Despite the emptiness, this is actually a very cozy apartment. It's bright and sunny with those huge windows. While it is lacking in closet space, it does come with a brand new oven and a full size, grown up fridge. The town has a great weekend market. I am ready to buy some fresh produce and try some new recipes. As soon as I buy some pots and pans.
