The Flat

You’ve now heard about most elements of my moving to Paris so far but there leaves one thing that I must describe before I tell you about my adventures. That, my friends, is The Flat.

I’ve been describing my current living situation to people as a Downton Abbey –style set up. As with most Parisian apartment buildings there is a little service entrance which used to be for the servants who lived upstairs with a staircase that has a door into each of the main apartments’ kitchen. I have the maid’s room or chambre de bonne .

I’m at the top of 7 flights of stairs which is certainly testing my thigh muscles and I’m very glad I went up Snowdon with Dad as preparation! Carrying shopping up is interesting when you don’t have a lift especially when you want to make the most of the cheap alcohol. There are about 16 flats/rooms up here but I haven’t seen anyone else here yet. It is really quiet. Mostly because I’m so high up I can’t hear any road noise but also because it feels like I’m the only one up here! The only noise I can hear is birds having fights on top of my skylights which is mildly irritating.

My flat is a bit of a weird shape and not what you would expect, at least not for Paris! I have a little hallway with some shelves on one side and a mirrored wardrobe on the other. I wasn’t expecting as much storage as I’ve got as I saw some on the internet which didn’t seem to have even a chest of drawers! After the hallway you get to my extending dining table. Pip and I extended one side of it but couldn’t put it back so I think it will probably stay this size until I can work out how to put it back. When I say it has been extended that doesn’t mean that it is big, because it isn’t. I can fit the two delightful orange chairs on either side but that is about it!

Straight ahead is my little kitchen with a little two ring hob, fridge-freezer and sink. I have a little toaster oven as well which is proving to be quite a good source of heat as well as being really quick to cook things. Overall the kitchen is pretty awesome, definitely bigger than Rachael Khoo’s but not quite as chic.

It shouldn’t take too long to talk about the bathroom. I don’t know how anyone taller than me could cope with the shower. Their head might pop over the top! The toilet is electric. Now this sounded odd to me at first but apparently it is a thing. It makes an almighty gurgling sound every time you flush it which goes on for a good couple of minutes which isn’t so great in the middle of the night…

Surprisingly as you go around the corner there is a double bed. Something odd for Paris in a studio but definitely appreciated even despite the slightly loose headboard…. So that is chez moi, my humble abode, Hobbit Hole whatever you want to call it.