Stairs

Our appartment (unit…) in Paris is on the 5th and final floor of a typical early 20th century appartment block. And it has no elevator so it is a stairs only job.

This has some advantages – there are no other occupants above us to disturb the peace with their hob nailed boots and we are not overlooked by our neighbours. It has some disadvantages as well – everything in the flat has to be walked up the 5 flights of stairs – and when that includes suitcases full of travel gear, it doesn’t always seem to be a good idea. In fact ground floor appartments suddenly look really good!

Another point not appreciated by the amateur gardener on ground level – your flower pots rarely cause problems with your neighbours. On the fifth floor if, (as I did…), you put pots with swiftly growing tomato plants in them and then go away during a windy weekend then you will likely as not find a rude message on the access door to the appartment addressed to the ‘plant killer’. And a missing pot. And a very dead looking pot complete with traumatised tomato plant 5 flights down.
Not recommended for good inter-neighbour relations although it does help you get to meet them…..

My now standard comment about living 5 flights up is that it a) improves your fitness and b) improves your memory. Everyone understands (although may not believe) the former, some people have to let me explain that after you have done the ‘down 5 flights, up 5 flights, down 5 flights, up 5 flights’ a few times then you make very certain that you remember everything before you go downstairs again.

This is the view that confronts the intrepid visitor to my apartment:

Simon