The Js are Silent

By Krista

On March 1st we bid farewell to the furnished AirBnB that served as our landing base for the first month in Ljubljana and moved into our apartment. After almost four years of ownership and many months of planning, we are so happy to finally be able to live at Peričeva ulica 7. It’s in the Bežigrad District of Ljubljana, very close to the train station, town center, Tivoli Park, etc. The cover photo above was taken from our bedroom mini-balcony.

With 3 small bedrooms and one large master, the apartment is larger than our one bedroom in Oakland and is also on the 11th floor (the top full floor, there are two rooftop units above us). For the first few days Rory, Chester, and I were wandering from room to room a bit aimlessly. Rory and I would forget why we entered the room or forget where we put things and Chester was getting used to yet another transition. I am happy to report by Day 3, Chester was “Balcony Boss” once again (Rory and I continue to be confused :-).

We all continue to be awestruck when we look out the window or go out onto the balcony and take in the view or the sky. I think we are finally getting used to living higher than the 3rd floor.

After our tenant moved out last October, we had some major work done to redo the kitchen completely. New floor, cabinets, sink, tile walls and counters, induction stove top, convection oven, fridge, etc. To say we love it is an understatement. As long time renters, we have never experienced the joy of choosing appliances, etc.

We also had to sell/giveaway most of our old U.S. appliances and have been having fun with replacements. We splurged on a fancy espresso/coffee machine which grinds its own beans, makes several types of drinks, and is a bit of a prima-donna. But we love it!

In the living room, we painted, added a fan and new lighting, and an A/C unit. We have additional lighting to add in the “dining room” and are waiting until we get our furniture, etc. to decide on that.

Speaking of our stuff, we are living very simply until our container arrives sometime at the end of March. We are currently using our IKEA patio furniture indoors with cardboard boxes. Ultimately the patio furniture will go out to the balcony. It’s actually working really well. Thank you to our neighbor Annie, from Oakland, for sharing that tip!

Aside from the new coffee maker, Rory is most excited about the extra energy efficiency measures we invested in. The man is walking the walk! Almost all rooms have ceiling fans, we have new motorized external window shades for all windows, and a new larger heat pump for the two A/C units. This coupled with the existing double pane windows should keep us cool in the summer. We have already noticed that we need very little radiator action to keep this place nice and warm. It appears we have a tight, efficient building envelope, as they say in the biz!

More to come on the rest of the apartment as we move along. All the rooms have fresh paint and ceiling fans. We are having the entry way and hall repainted today with a less bright color – ended up with a bit of a Miami Vice coral!

Many thanks for all the support, advice, well wishes and patience – I know we have been promising pics for a while 🙂