Our House ...

These are some pictures I've taken since we got here. We've moved things around a bit since I took these and we're expecting four enormous crates of our own furniture and decorations (and clothes, blessed clothes!!!) to arrive on a ship next Friday. I'll have to post more pics, or the requested video tour, once we get things all set up.

After living in a studio apt. for a year, I am most amazed at the fact I can go a whole week or more without going into some rooms. Also, as much as I love Neil, it's nice to have some space and room to do our own things if we want. It's really weird to "lose" him in the apt., calling him and hearing his voice, but not sure which room he's in.

There are a lot of things I could say about Buenos Aires. Our neighborhood, Belgrano, is mostly nice apartments and some beautiful old mansions tucked between. There are several embassies (but not the U.S. Embassy, that's about 10 min. away) around us (usually in the big mansions) and it is a very upscale neighborhood. It does have a very "European" feel to it -- lots of cafes, lots of people dining out, lots of people enjoying the parks -- Argentines sure know how to use their parks, they LOVE any park space -- LOTS of people walking dogs. EVERYONE has a dog, and there are several common breeds: mini poodle, maltese, Yorkie, beagle, Lab and Golden retrievers, cocker spaniel, Weimeraner, German Shepherd, Bernese Mountain Dog ... OK, that's more than a few types, but really it seems like a limited amount of breeds here. I mean, I've never seen a pug or a dalmation here. People also don't clean up after their dogs, so the sidewalks can be filled with land mines. Fortunately, the "porteros" or porters (?) who manage the buildings are out every morning washing the sidewalks. I mean, our portero takes a squeegee to it after he washes it. This is unfortunate for water conservation.

Pics now, more about B.A. later.

Self-explanatory.
This "park" is directly across the street from our building. It's really just on a street corner, and there are a couple benches right at the corner, behind the lady walking her dog, which seems like a very awkward place to actually sit and hang out, but there are ALWAYS people of all different ages talking, kissing, playing guitar, drinking (yes, you can drink in the streets) etc. in this "park." They LOVE their parks here.

Here is our building. There is one apt. to each floor in our building. Our apt. is the 5th floor.
Sorry for the redundancy, but this is so you can see the cobblestone street.
Here's the lobby. There is always a portero at the front desk, or standing outside in this case, who unlocks and opens the door. Always. 24/7.
The elevator goes up to our floor and opens to a little vestibule with our front door.
Immediately inside the front door to the left is the powder room.
Here's the living/dining room. Neil has been using the floor space to take private breakdancing lessons twice a week. Luckily he goes to a gym for his jiu jitsu class. And he has Spanish lessons at the Embassy. He has really been taking advantage of this situation, which makes me happy.
Past the living/dining room is the kitchen and eating area -- currently the intensive Spanish study area.
And then the kitchen. The big box was our air-shipped stuff. For future reference I will send more stuff that way -- it got here within 1 week!
The kitchen goes out to a back balcony, adjoining the LAUNDRY ROOM and the "maid's quarters." I am SOOOOOooooooooooo happy to have my own washer and dryer after a few years of not having one in my apt.

Neil arranges the fruit all the time into interesting configurations. That phone on the wall is a video intercom to the front door outside the building.The back balcony by the laundry/maid's room. OK, we don't seriously have a live-in maid (she just comes once a week ;) but even if we did, I wouldn't make her stay out here.
Looking out to the buildings behind ours.Looking down to our building's patio.
The "maid's room," which is occupied by the washer and dryer.
The "maid's bathroom." There is actually a shower in there, almost over the toilet.Heading back in through the kitchen. We have this thing called a "dishwasher." I still haven't used it. Old habits die hard.The guest room. We've since switched it with the office, since this room is where the internet hookup is.
The office, now the guest room. There is a balcony, beside the laundry room balcony, that runs the length of these two rooms.
The hallway looking out from what is now the guest room, toward the master bedroom.
The hall bathroom for the guest room.
OK, SO I DIDN'T TAKE ANY PICTURES OF OUR ROOM YET but I will. It's basically a big square with some dressers, a chair, bed and nightstands in it. It has a separate area with built-in closets. It has a normal bathroom with an Olympic-sized garden-style Jacuzzi tub. Seriously. You don't believe me. I'll post pictures.

This is the front balcony that runs the length of the building, outside the living room and our bedroom. The table and chairs are outside our bedroom. There are sliding glass doors and these nifty, pull-up wooden shade things.

Sometimes we eat outside! Buen provecho!