Where we will be living.

 I know I've mentioned it before but all this talk about selling the house and dealing with the house and wanting the house to be DONE, has got me in the mood to share a little about where we will be living. Plus, "ddd" won the giveaway and she asked where we will  be living in relation to the center of Krakow.

I should start by saying that, barring any reason to completely avoid photographing where we will be living for some sort of security reason or something like that, I will be taking copious amounts of photos of the house, the yard, the trees, everything. (before and after's! I am looking forward to this, very much so) This is not the end of this conversation by any means.

We will be living in Martin's family home in the northeastern area outside Krakow's center. It is very near Nowa Huta.

Map:

"A" is the Stare Miasto (Old Town). City Center. "B" is the general area where the house is. A 15 min. drive in moderate traffic. Not bad. Public transportation takes about 30-45 min.

The house was built in the mid-80's with a definite function over form mentality. It's kind of a country house. Which just means that it's not fancy in any way but keeps you warm and dry and it's free...what more could you ask for?!  It consists of two full "apartments."  Identical floor plan upstairs and down. When Martin was little the family lived throughout the house but now that the family only visits in the summer it is usually just the downstairs that used with any regularity. Although I have never visited when both floors were not bursting with people.

We will be living in the upstairs apartment and Martin will have his work space downstairs in the "office" and we will be converting the "t.v. room" downstairs into our schoolroom ( I could not be more excited about this)! My goal is to have a living space upstairs and a working space downstairs and to not use the other rooms downstairs at all (the last thing I need is  *two* kitchens to clean). And of course, this coming summer, and next summer, we will have family living downstairs so we will have to adjust our work spaces to welcome them home.  I fully intend on using the basement to its fullest potential, whatever Martin and I decide that means for us. And of course, the attic, which is actually up another flight of stairs (as opposed to the pull-down-nearly-decapitate-you ladders we have here in Texas) will be used to hang clothes to dry when it's raining or snowing outside, unless I get myself a dryer, of course.

The yard is massive and covered in fruit trees (cherries, sour cherries, apples, pears, and plums). Martin will tame the lawn and we intend on planting a vegetable garden in the spring, along with some new berry bushes (strawberries, raspberries, gooseberry, currant), roses,  and possibly welcoming a family of chickens.

I have ideas. Lots of them. It will be our home as well as our school and work place and I want to make it feel like home. And throughout all of this we intend on buying land as soon as possible and beginning construction on our own home in the Spring. It's going to be a crazy full year. Plans and hard work.

One week! 
One week.