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:
Yep, 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:


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