Friday, May 02, 2008

A Moving Experience

It looks like we will be moving to a larger apartment closer to Centro come the end of July. We very much like the area we're in now - we've become regulars at a few local bars (no not that sort of bar this sort!)and restaurants; we have our favorite market stalls where they know us and no longer put their finger on the scale when weighing fruit and vegetables;even the cashiers at the local supermarket know us now.

So why move? Well its a long story involving what we were promised before and what we were given when we arrived. The new location is that much closer to town, major transportation routes and Laurent's work and we will have a den for the TV, computers etc and a small breakfast room. Hey there comes a time in the foreign service when you takes all the perks they gives you!

One of the biggest drawbacks is the packing and unpacking. Granted someone else is doing it but experience has taught that more gets damaged in short-haul moves than the trans-Atlantic ones. And its means things will be at sixes and sevens for a few weeks. And the other problem is this:
Our ElevatorYep, that's the elevator in our building! A close fit for three people - too close according to our Fascist Grouch neighbour who refuses to ride in it with us. So how the hell do you get boxes, furniture et al up and down from the 4th floor?

This ingenious device does all the work:
Outside loading

Load it up - send it down. Of course in true Italian fashion there are no safety sides - bah only straneri would use safety sides - so you hold your breath until your crystal makes it safely down. Or better yet just leave everything to fate and go get a caffe at the local bar for one last time.

02 maggio - San Atanasio

10 comments:

Lorraine said...

Good luck to it...I pretty much loathe moving but one of the advantages is it's an opportunity to shed any extraneous crappola that may have managed to worm its way into one's life. That said, I hope all your crystal balls make it down the slide safely!

sageweb said...

Wow that thing is brilliant.

Ha, Crystal balls...sorry....my mind went somewhere else.

Willym said...

No, no my balls aren't crystal they're silver.... think 60 - that the year for Silver isnt't it?

evilganome said...

Best of luck with the move. I hope all the Waterford and Limoge makes it safely. Moving really does suck though and not in a good way.

Anonymous said...

Oh I could have some fun in that lift. mmmmhmmmm
Also, ug! Moving is a nightmare. And fine fine fine, if you don't have room for all those trinkety things I guess I'll take them. Sheesh, what I do for friends.

Doralong said...

I also loathe moving. I think the just walk away plan is a good one, you'll be much less stressed. that or hand carry the crystal on the lift yourself.

M. Knoester said...

You don't realise what luxury that elevator is! I've just spent three days helping to clean my best friend's new apartment, going up and down, up and down. It's tiny but gorgeous and now, also clean. But the stairs are hideously narrow and steep. There are white streaks on my purses and backpack from where they scraped the walls and bruises on my calves from hitting the steps above when going down.

We bought a vacuum cleaner this morning and looked at fridges at the same store. Apparently they have one of those lifts or they have a deal with someone who does, so when he decides they will come and bring the new one in through the window and take the old one out.

No crystal (in ball-shape or otherwise) is to be moved, but he has some rather nice artwork at the old place (went to the ex). His Arne Jacobsen egg chair is being brought over on Monday. I wonder if that'll fit up the stairs... I hope so, because that's usually my chair when I'm with him.

Willym said...

SK - I know what you mean - we lived in a third floor walk up in Chicago. It was a wonderful place but the move in and out was a nightmare. I remember hauling a couch up the side of a building in Toronto using a block and tackle because it was too big for the service elevator. Hope you don't have to use the same option with the egg chair!

more cowbell said...

Yes, your silver balls were the first thing I thought of as well. Not like that!

Wow, I can't believe I've never seen one of those! Sure would've come in handy when my Hungarian landlord had to haul my American box springs up through a window, as they wouldn't fit up the stairs.

Jeff said...

I still havent recovered from the end of year move, the one that culminated in a giant estate sale!

Best of luck to you both.