We've signed the contract for an apartment but we don't really like it. We wanted a place with character in an old building/house, close to transportation and cafés, stores, and restaurants, that was still fairly quiet, at least on the 3rd or 4th floor, simple living without too many rules/regulations to worry about, and something not too expensive. At the end of the month we'll move into our apartment situated in a complex of three giant Mississauga-style white buildings built in 2012 that each houses 100+ units over ~10 floors, down industrial way that's at least a 10 minute walk to any form of public transportation, restaurant, or café, our 1st floor apartment looks out on to the train tracks where a train passes about every 5--15 minutes, and it costs approximately double what our Grenoble place set us back. Since it's Germany, our lease has 18 (eighteen) appendices containing rules with respect to how to clean and maintain the floor, the laws explaining how often we have to air the place out (at least 2 windows must remain open for greater than 15 minutes twice per day, ...), and rules on how we're allowed to use the oven (amongst others). Also, in Germany there are no benefits to renting. If something breaks and we have to call a plumber, it's us who pays. Plus, the tenants have to perform renovations either when they move out or every five years. Ridiculous. Oh well... at least we'll have a place to live.
Marienplatz 1
Marienplatz 2
Lake Starnberg (found while cycling)
Oktoberfest 1
Oktoberfest 2
How Sundays should be spent
Olympic Park -- on the way to pick up race kits
Race Expo!
Olympic Park -- on the way home (it got dark..)
Yes, so we had to go to pick up race kits because we're doing the Munich 1/2 marathon on Sunday. Should be fun except that we haven't ran further than about 10k in weeks and weeks and weeks.
However, when we did run 10k at the Oktoberfestlauf a few weeks ago, we were big winners! (though we forgot to stick around and get our prizes unfortunately). Here we are!
Sandra Rae
WM
