Casa dulce casa!

On Monday we moved to a new apartment in Palermo Viejo. The neighborhood is fantastic - tall leafy trees lining the street, sidewalk cafes in every direction, walking distance to anything we might need, and my new best friend, our doorman Osmar, who I exchange cheek kisses with about 5 times a day.
By the way - that's reason #4,872 that I love love love Buenos Aires, the kisses - it's such a nice way to greet people, so much friendlier and more intimate than a handshake.
Anyway, we also live half a block from Plaza Guemes, an idyllic square with a children's playground, puppies, and people leisurely reading the newspaper or drinking mate. Right next to the Plaza (and included in the view from our balcony to the left) is the Basilica del Espiritu Santo.
As for the apartment - well, it has a lot of character. In the living room, we have some large leather armchairs with gold and silver sequined pillows adorning them, and a table and set of chairs that may date back to Henry VXXMII. As the centerpiece of the table, there is a very worn looking bottle of Drambuie, some mystery cherry liquer, and a tiny cocktail glass, as though some 18th century pirate had a nightcap at the table before we moved in. In the front hallway, we have a large Asian inspired tapestry, and in the back we have cabinets and cabinets full of random kitsch, broken china, and huge acrylic paintings. On our first day in the apartment, we discovered that almost everything is broken, but in a very charming and endearing way. None of the faucets turn off completely, the toilet only stops running on occasion, the bathroom door doesn't close, and using the microwave requires an extension cord dangling into the sink. But - we absolutely love it. It's funky, and retro, and stylish, and it already feels like home.
We also have two baby birds living on our balcony. They are named Hola and Chau, and Will discovered them yesterday, when at first he thought they were "one big dead bird" only to discover that they were actually two small living birds. They look very mellow and mostly just cuddle with each other in their ceramic pot. The mommy bird (a dove) has come to visit a couple times, so hopefully Hola and Chau will be alright.
Anyway, we love our new place and what with wondering whether the kitchen cabinet will fall off the wall next time you go to get some olive oil, or the bathroom sink crack and shatter next time you wash your hands, and not really being able to close any of the doors in the apartment, life is never boring. It's a constant adventure, even if you're just getting up for a glass of water in the middle of the night.
And that's how I like it.