“Mein gott !” you are all crying: “does this mean she’s going to STOP WHINGEING ?!” ..
And the answer, my poor suffering friends, is resoundingly “YESSSSSS !”
I’ve found a really nice (nothing fancy, mind !) apartment, a small one in a small apartment building .. and that last phrase is true either way you interpret it: there are some larger apartments on the 3rd and 4th floors, but none is really big.
There you go – well, looking in one direction, anyway. Turning around you see the rest of the living-room and the bedroom, and the bathroom’s off the corridor, just inside the front door.
Oh, and the European laundry is behind the space between the bathroom door and the edge of the ‘floating’ bedroom wall (the bedroom is quite roomy enough for all my crochet stuff).
I reckon I can get my three big chairs in there no worries, and put ’em around the big grey ottoman that’s actually a spare bed. AND fit in my mesh metal kitchen shelves set. But I’ll need to get rid of the dining-room table and replace it with something smaller. I like to have challenges to occupy me. :D
It’s in a Melbourne suburb called Essendon, in a shopping kind of area. The building itself is on a main road that has a tramline taking one directly into the city, should one have such a yearning. But my apartment is on the far side from that road, facing away from it and thus protected from traffic noise. WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, she added loudly so as to emphasise the joy, it’s three doors away from the most wonderful market hall I’ve ever seen !, and five or six away from a “Parisian boulangerie” .. Coles is a five-minute walk away. The tram goes through Moonee Ponds and Ascot Vale, both of which shopping centres are impressive.
The afore-mentioned market hall will have a post ere long, because I ain’t seen nuthin’ even remotely like it in this country. In France – yes; in Italy – yes. In Germany – sorta. In Oz – nup. A wine room; a real deli bar including a huge cheese selection (which could be larger, imnsho – but hey, who’s complaining ?); a meat section; the main enormous area filled with breathtaking fruit and vegies; a specialist groceries section; and even a section for pot-plants !! I am going to have a real problem keeping within my budget ..
So there it is. I’m housed again. I can leave this place of no intercoms and a washing-machine with a circuit-breaker that keeps failing (or however I should describe it when the bloody machines just switch off in the middle of a wash and/or a dry). One thing I’ll regret leaving: my local pharmacy, where the staff are just delightful and the service exemplary, as well as the stock’s being terrific. But who knows what I’ll find at the other end ?
Late addition: my moving day will be Tuesday fortnight – 12th April. Got a removalist booked !
DOWNUNDER WITH BOODZ 
I’m delighted for you! Youpie!! xxx
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Merci Patrick ! :D
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Also very envious re. the market.
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Mate, you should be ! Wait a coupla weeks till I’m there and you’ll see what I mean ..
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I am so so thrilled for you M-R. It looks, in layout a bit like one my son had in his early days in Melbourne. Compact, but well organised. The location sounds fantastic. What aspect is your living room? What floor are you on. Anyhow, so happy. When do you move?
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The balcony is facing more or less south, Sue, and I’m only on the first floor (of four, I think). I see it as having all the benefits of apartment living without being one of several hundred in the same building. I might possibly be a bit biased .. :D
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I agree … if I end up in an apartment I’d not want to be in a huge tower. South is a bit of a shame but you can’t have everything. It won’t be hot in summer. BTW One funny thing was that one winter we were staying in an apartment tower among apartment towers on one of our Melbourne trips. Our apartment faced south, but there was a time every afternoon when the sun hit the north wall on the apartment opposite and reflected back to us. I hated being amongst the towers but that moment at least gave me a bit of joy.
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You’d find the joy wherever it was, Sue. :)
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I would try to, that’s for sure.
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How much failing at anything have you ever done ?!
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Possibly not as much as I should have!
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???
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By which I mean I’ve probably always been too sensible 😄
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It does look rather bijou, but I guess there’s room enough for you and the kitty. Is that a balcony I see? 🤔Nice to be able to have some container plants out there and a diddy table and chairs if you are not overlooked. The best thing about it is that market hall! I do hope that this one is right for you, nice and clean and no problems with the electrics!
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“Rather bijou” is nice, Jude – and accurate. :D
The Boodster can get away from me onto the balcony (yes !) or back into the bedroom; and that’s important because cats like to be on their own a fair bit. Plants indeed, my dear ! – whatever I can afford. I have a marvellous old planter stand made for me by a dear friend AND two big bags of pot-plant soil – that might have to be chucked out, owing to the fact that it’s si months old .. Hmmmm ..
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Yay. So glad you have found a nest at last!
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Thank-you, my fine feathered friend ! :D Isn’t it a relief ?! [grin]
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Hurrah, M-R! Great news and the nearby market sounds like bliss! South facing – cool in summer, for winter a good heated throw rug might be the thing for when you’re sitting in the lounge. I’m so pleased for you! First floor – are there many stairs or is there a lift? Anyway, well done you!
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I do not do stairs, she said sniffily. Two lifts, and lots less apartments using them than when I was in Maribyrnong.
Thank-you for your continued involvement in my whinges, Sue ! :D
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Absolutely thrilled for you. I have been hoping something would come up soon.Been thinking that before long I would suggest you come to NZ, but rents here are exorbitant.
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Of course they are: you lot live in heaven, by and large. Have I said before ? – Kiwiland is the one country we never got to that we really wanted to – and then it was too late.
Always the way. Sighhh ..
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Woohoooooooo! Congratulations; that’s great news. Wishing you a very smooth moving experience.
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Thanks so much, Michele ! – a three month long search, it was. But as someone-or-other said, all’s well that ends well, eh ? :D
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This is just excellent news, M-R. It sounds like your location is going to offer you some wonderful opportunities to easily treat yourself to some unique shopping areas, and to be near the heart of action when that feels good to you, but quiet and more insulated in your apartment when you prefer a seclusion. I can almost see you doing a happy dance! :-)
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Hit the nail on the head again, Deb – you’re a tonic. :)
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Hurray!
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No need to rabbit on and on, y’know .. ;)
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Rofl….
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Wa-hey! I came here (belatedly, as you can see) to find out whether you’d been able to resolve the accommodation issue, and… RESULT! It looks light and airy and definitely adequate for storing crochet supplies. May you be blissfully at home there.
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Your heart is as huge as your talent, you wonderful thing !
One day I shall commence re-planting my little planter, made for me by a dear friend; and then we shall see how I compete with your mind-boggling garden. (Yes, that was a joke !)
I haven’t been as happy to be somewhere since being a single unit, Phil ! :D
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