New Apartment

After having to be interviewed by the owners mother, we finally get the keys to our new apartment in Daro. Its up a short sharp hill above the railway station with great views over the town. The view could be described as being better at night.....when you cant see the town. That said, we get more sun as the "cram them in" town planning policy has not reached Daro yet and we have a garden, a garage, a basement and an attic room... and the views of the mountains are brilliant. People even smile up here too......

We are the flat with the middle balcony. West facing, so we only get the sun towards evening  but will still be plenty hot enough come the summer.

Front of the property. Our flat is the middle one. 

Cycling back up to the house after work requires an element of commitment

Until you have a label on your post box, you don't exist in Switzerland.
Meike had this badge made in Bellinzona. Neat eh.

We negotiaited some furniture from the previous tennants.
Tables, book cases, bed, wardrobes....and light fittings, as you are normally expected to bring your own and an eletrician when you move in and as we have neither it's one less thing to worry about.

Hallway with living room and diner to the left and bathroom to the right

Bedroom with bed frame. We have since occupied the space inside the bedframe with  the supports and the worlds hardest mattress..... but still better than sleeping on the floor.

Matching wardrobes....Matching bed.... I am so happy :-)

This is where the sofa will go but in the mean time its Thermarests.

Bathroom....Yes really...

Spare room. 

Kitchen....wall to wall Bosch and everything works :-)

Other end of kitchen where I am typing this from

Lounge, now we have moved in a bit.

Looking a bit more like home.
We have to set up the wireless router yet, hence the cables for the internet

View from the lounge with  Castle no 1 to the left

Castle No 1 at night

Bellinzona by night

View from the Bedroom with Pizzo Erra (2416m) in the background

View from bed

View over Bellinzona (or some Eastern block country)  from the lower level of the garden

Lower terrace of garden with a happy Meike.
We have been granted permission by the land lord (who's OK really)  to dig over some of the garden and grow some veg, we are very grateful to him as I am sure he would have had to consult all the neighbours, possibly the bishop and made a sacrifice to the Swiss god of complex legislation.
Its good to work on the basis, that everything is illegal in Switzerland, unless there is a sign saying its legal.

The strange stone builing was once used for chicken breeding.
We have use of the terrace above

We also have a palm tree

...and here it is in a better light.

Meike on the terrace

Sunset on a long weekend of moving house.
Considering we have no furniture it was very hard work.
Thankfully our old land lady gave us the use of her car for the weekend, which was very kind of her.
No...she's not Swiss...

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