The view from my balcony at sunset is breathtaking... Or perhaps I should say balconies, I have three that wrap around the apartment. I cannot believe the beauty of where I live. The trees- citrus, pomegranate, fir, others I have never before seen.
I love my kitschy Greek palace with its retro glam. I feel like I should be continuously playing Frank, Ella or when I'm feeling a little melancholy- Billie. On weekend nights I should be looping rat pack movies. Then again it might clash with the dramatic Greek music that plays in the teeny elevator- mirrored, of course. Except for the imitation Venetian murano glass lovingly installed by the Greek landlady who lives on the first two floors. There's one other floor beneath me with an invisible, silent neighbor. Then I get the whole top floor. Penthouse, baby!
It's not huge compared to what some of my colleagues live in, but for me- it truly is a palace. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. A kitchen big enough for a table to seat four. You could fit my German apartment in my living room and still have space left over. There's gold etching around the moldings, glistening wood and tile floors, a fireplace that works... This is so beyond me. Enough to keep me from trading for a centrally located, urban apartment. Enough to rhapsodize over in a blog post. I'm ruined for other homes. Have I mentioned the fairly large flat screen television?
But let me be honest. It's all about the feeling from the balcony. The vista of a rose and azure painted sky overlooking all of Athens with an amazing view of the old white chapel built by a sole monk atop Lycavettus Hill. Then there are the nights where there is a concert in the park and I can just lay on the bed and listen to the music waft in among the breeze that makes its way through the open balcony door and gauzy drapes. The to die for bakery across the street, busy corner cafe with a huge outdoor cushioned seating area, tasty beyond tasty souvlaki and gyro joint around the corner are just frosting. It's almost worth the 15 minutes of very scary driving to get to work. But that's a whole 'nother story for another posting.
Jx
