Here's what I pop out to when I leave the building:
A lovely little path through a very small park. There isn't much to speak of in the park in spite of the gorgeous gates, but the wall fountain on the left is enough for me. I love the old building it's set against, with all the ivy spilling over it, don't you?
Across from the park is the side terrace for fancy restaurant I still haven't managed to try out, in spite of wanting to for years and years.
One day last week I spotted a lot of fancy-dress people on the sidewalk outside the restaurant and realized the place was hosting a wedding. Sure enough, though I got into the park to make my way home, a lady was waiting for me to leave so she could shut the gates behind me - the wedding party got the park AND the fountain AND the restaurant's terrace all for itself! If Pete and I weren't already married I would totally want to book that for the big day. Bonus: a dear musician friend turned out to be working at said wedding and we snuck in a quick visit thanks to the very patient gate lady.
Of course the best thing is the church across the street, whose picture is almost always being taken by a visitor to the city as I pass. It's famous for its bells - I think I've mentioned that it's the only one in North America with a full set, and on Sunday afternoons you can hear them in concert. It is completely fabulous.
Coming home is not as gorgeous, but I still get to pass through a quiet lane...
and the flowers at our door are stunning.
Earlier in the summer I happened to be coming home while landscapers put these planters together, complete with trees in the middle, all the way down the lane between our buildings. If our maintenance fees are covering that, and I am pretty sure they do, I say Yay! It's not something I could ever manage at the house, and it's incredibly lovely to come back to. Totally compensates for all the boxes still stacked up inside our actual unit.
As pretty as all this is, there are other advantages to this location, including a really cool shop a block down the road where you can buy vintage schoolhouse lights and furniture and other interesting things. I found this unusual 1940s light there for our soon-to-be kitchen:
And a mostly-matchy striped one I think would be great over the sink, or maybe in my office?
I love the stripe on the bottom of the teapot print one.
The shades came with fixtures, which Ray says he can spray black for me if I want, and I think I might because we are looking at black fixtures everywhere else to go with black doorknobs and a black metal stair railing. We had planned on wood originally, but the stairs are going to be on the narrow side as it is - it may be growing taller, but it's still going to be a very small house - and going with a metal option will save a good chunk of space for passage. Needless to say I've been photographing all the amazing 1930s stair hardware I can find downtown to show our contractor (there is lots.)
There are still some neighbourhood bits I didn't get to show you, a bit farther afield from the lanes. Next time I have time to get out with my camera in good light I will grab those images for you.
Till then, have a wonderful day and I'll see you tomorrow! There has been some knitting this week tucked in between all the cleaning and shifting and unpacking, and of course I have to show you that.
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