We went furniture shopping and it was a surprisingly pleasant experience, though we didn’t actually find anything we urgently need (a small dining table, a bed, a fold-out bed, a wardrobe, a comfortable chair). We were going to a warehousey sort of place that does up old furniture and provides to film and TV sets, […]
At last
And so we finally moved into the flat. In the morning I had to go over and wait for the combi technician to come and turn the combi off. This required me to be present. He didn’t arrive between 10 and 12 as promised, so eventually I left. Meanwhile, the professional cleaners had arrived, and […]
Bulldozing
We rather ruthlessly bulldozed our contractor and architect, so today and yesterday a lot of work has been going on in the flat. Today, the plumber was there and installed the longer gas pipe, as well as the bidet and the various taps, so aside from actual hot water, all sanitary equipment is now up […]
Shattering glass
Last night, I stepped out of the shower, put on my pyjamas, left the bathroom, and as I left, behind the shower enclosure suddenly shattered, sending glass everywhere. It was shocking and of course had I taken a few moments longer to dress I would have been covered in glass. Anyway, not only was I […]
A rabbit in the corridor
This morning a series of deliveries was made. Unfortunately the first of these was a very large and heavy fridge. First, the box wouldn’t fit through the front door, so the delivery men finally took it out and then it just about fit. Then, even removed from the box it wouldn’t fit through the kitchen […]
Dodgy
Last night the GF went to a party, which I backed out of, though I rather regret it. It seems to have been something of a metaphorical and literal underworld scene, the sort where you see, though doubled vision, both immense wealth and the dodginess that clusters around it. There were also a lot of […]
Dust everywhere
Today was my first trip to the flat, and my first opportunity to see it look and feel close to finished, with lights and switches everywhere. Quite exciting. The reason I was there was the kitchen installation by Ikea. So I sat on the plastic covered sofa in one half of the living room while […]
Inauspicious start
While I finished my work and meetings before leaving, it was still an inauspicious start as I got in the taxi, was promptly stuck in Beyoglu traffic jams, idly looked at the ticket on my phone, and realised that it said Ataturk Airport, ie the old airport, not the new Istanbul Airport to which I […]
At the tea shop
In the ground floor of our building is a tea shop which we try to keep on side. They do seem very pleasant. Today our sofa was to be delivered so I went and worked at the tea shop, on a little table set under a tree, sipping cay, a very pleasant time indeed until […]
Paint
Suddenly, today, the flat looked absolutely lovely. The paint we chose with such difficulty (assuming it is the one we chose) is just the right colour, white but with a feeling of real depth, like plaster. The contractor’s son (and architect’s brother) is a specialist in paint and has done a superb job. There is […]