Thursday, May 27, 2010
Six days ago our stuff finally made it across the high seas and was delivered in tact, in through our window. What efficiency. It's common in Geneva to use a lift to hoist the boxes and furniture up and through a window or balcony door. This is because of the many buildings without elevators and even in the buildings with elevators, the elevators are much too small to fit furniture. Besides, it saves the workman a major ache and pain.
After all the boxes were hoisted and placed in rooms, a friendly man from Italy helped me unpack my kitchen. Two other men helped Chris unpack the remaining rooms. What service! They weren't joking when they said this company was "door to door" service.
I have the photos you requested. I took pictures of every room before the shipment arrived. This way you can see a clean slate. Boxes are now cluttering the scene. I'll take more photos later when every room is finished and cute as a button.
Our apartment building from the outside. We are the top floor balcony.
Our front door!
You've stepped through the front door and are looking down the hallway. I must warn you... the walls are going to be very bare and very white. That will be remedied soon enough.
When you step through the front door, you see our only bathroom on the left. This room has everything except a toilet. The toilet has it's very own room at the other end of the apartment!
If you walk into the bathroom, this sink is hiding around the corner of the shower curtain.
Such a dreadful picture, but I had to show you the strangest thing that is common in Geneva. The shower heads are placed in the middle of the tub instead of at the end of the tub. It's the most awkward thing to stand with the curtain in your face and the spray hitting the curtain. What are they thinking? Chris is even more uncomfortable because the shower head is too low for his 6' 2" height. I take a lot of baths. The tub is a decent size.
Leaving the bathroom and heading down the hallway.
The toilet has it's very own room at the end of the hallway. Notice the flushing system on the wall, different than anything I've seen in the U.S.
Backing up and entering the first room on the left... the guest room. Empty at this time except for my easle. Notice the hot water heater behind the easle. Every room has one.
Our Master Bedroom on the right side of the hallway. Fortunately, while we waited 2 months for our stuff, the apartment came with a bed and dresser. We also got on the train and took a trip to IKEA.
If you step into the room and turn around you'll see a built in closet. There are 4 of these in the entire apartment. It's not much closet space by U.S. standards but it's far more than most Genevans have. We have the old building to thank for this.
On the other side of our bedroom door... I'm not sure what the purpose of this is, or what it's covering. But it's pretty.
Walking across the hall to the kitchen. Again, this table came with the apartment.
Left wall of kitchen. We don't have a dishwasher, oven, or dryer. It's actually common in Geneva to have a dishwasher and oven, this apartment just didn't come with it. If we stay in this apartment, we'll probably buy those things, along with a dryer that will stack on top of that washer.
I don't mind doing dishes by hand, but look at the arrangement. It's awkward. Where do the dirty dishes stack? And where do the wet dishes get put to dry?
The dirty dishes are still awkward on the drain board up top. I can't let them stack for long. The clean dishes are in the photo below, on the floor. I realize it's a small complaint, but it's once you've HAD a dishwasher, if you see what I mean. =)
Turning around in the kitchen to head back out, you finally see the refridgerator. This is a small fridge by U.S. standards, but ENORMOUS by Geneva standards. We have many friends with waist high fridges and no freezer. We are very happy to have a freezer. To be honest, our habits have changed and now this fridge/freezer seems large. We never fill it like we would have in the U.S. Food prices here are high. We only buy what we are going to quickly and thoroughly consume.
Walking back across the hall to the livingroom. Most of you saw this photo in the previous post.
Last, but not least, we step out on the balcony, looking to the right, down the road to Lake Geneva.
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4 comments:
Beautiful... it looks so... European... *haha* of course! But I'm still marveling at the fact that you're in such a different, new and cool place :) How exciting!
I am in love. Love the floors and those doors...........
How are you getting along without a stove? Do you have a hot plate? Just curious.
Some things to get used to... but I'm sure you know it's worth it! It's the experience of a lifetime! So how many people are coming to visit? I thought Matt and Haley said they hoped to come! Keep up the pictures! Love to you and Chris! ~Beth
how fun, kara! i wanna visit! i miss you very, very much!!!!
love,
jennifer
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