The new neighbourhood

This morning we completed our move from the apartment between the fountain and the New Town, to the apartment three doors from our daughter’s place, with, as we discovered later, a view of their kitchen window. Odd to be so close after having been separated by a whole world and twenty years. I was sorry to leave ul Bugaj and its proximity to familiar places, but next door neighbours to twins trumps that sadness.

In my room, I have three beds and umpteen powerpoints to choose from, and a desk with a view of trees. I share it with street noise and an old fashioned ceramic heater, non-functioning, such as I’ve only seen before in museums or palaces. The washing up rack is in a cupboard over the sink, draining into a tray, and we have a generous supply of small tables. The dining chairs, made in Bulgaria, fit like a puzzle around the table, and there is a coffee machine, a plunger and a coffee grinder. No tea towels though.

After rejoicing in the ease of computerised door unlocking (place a circle on a circle and you’re in) and laying claim to new territory by unpacking bags, we explore our new surroundings. Snowdrops are flowering amongst the weeds in the courtyard (J has ideas about doing a bit of gardening, I think) and light and shadows make dilapidation look charming. We hurry through the second door, warned by our host about the possibility of being christened by pigeons if we don’t. The street has a centreline of trees and the footpath is blooming with inviting tables. Graffitied bas-relief and gracious gates suggest something of our suburb’s past. We discover in conversation with M that the building on the opposite corner was built pre-war by a Polish chocolate magnate, at the height of modernist fashion, following the principles of le Corbusier’s “Five points for a new architecture”.

We reconnoitre vegetable shops, bakeries, and eateries that could be twisted to vegan needs. The supermarket sells pickled cucumbers from old fashioned barrels. We line up to buy from a streetside stall – potatoes, radishes, onions, and spectacular garlic – nudging away a couple of babcias who seem to feel entitled to barge in. While I’m exploring a deli for curry paste and tahini, J buys me a banana ice cream.

Gradually the neighbourhood is taking shape for us.

View from my room

Ceramic heater

Stairs to the next floor

Weeds and snowdrops (?)

Dilapidation

Street tables and streetscape

Bas-relief

Barrels of pickled cucumbers

Elegant gateway

Posted with Blogsy