Encore Presentation: More from the Rue

Since you asked- here it is. More from little itty bitty house on the Rue. Here is a picture of our living area complete with dining area and the sink in the downstairs water closet. A half sink. You are allowed to wash one hand at a time according to half-sink rules, or guidelines since we are in France. Yes indeed, the French enjoy guidelines, not rules. We have water closets fondly thought of elsewhere as bathrooms. The one upstairs does not have a sink. It seriously is like closing yourself in a closet. The downstairs water closet with the half sink also houses the water heater for the apartment so it stays sauna warm always which gives another meaning to multi-tasking.

We can close the door to the kitchen/dining/living area, all the size of our bedroom at home or about 14 x 16 total. We let L&P stay in this area when we go out and finally realized that they must think of it as a pretty large crate. It looks like a crate, feels like one, and is cozy like one. Voila - family crate. A new concept.

Every morning I open the big windows (no screens) which are like a french door, but a window. We all, I mean me, L&P lean on the back of sofa and take in the morning air, and I wait in anticipation of grabbing collars to keep them from hurling themselves out the window. They have yet to do that, but L has started to leap, and I hold her back. She is a good leaper so I have to be extra careful. I suspect given the distance she would just plop on the floor behind the sofa, but I am taking no chances. The window stays open for only a moment.

Did I mention that the room has a raised platform toward the window, like a mini stage? Ah, no? Well, it apparently was inconvenient when placing the sofa, which is a sofa bed, in the room, so they cut a wedge from the rear of the sofa to sit on the stage. So, no rearranging this room, which was my very first thought when we got here because it just cries for a little something. Oh darn.

L&P rate the crate a pretty good 7 on most days. Especially when the sun shines in and Momo moves their chair to catch the rays.