Happy 2010 from snowy Holland!!!

Here I am, having transformed into a winter faerie, shouting out to you from the top of Centraal Station. It's c-0-0-0-0-0-ld here, folks, and the streets are plenty slick. Great time for gezellig indoor activities.

Meanwhile, take a look here for some wonderful shots by my buddy Bill, who was visiting Mokum when the snow started to fall. Bill is a terrific photographer, and you'll enjoy these.

Meanwhile, La Naranja remains open for business and back to hours as usual. We have a sale on, and we're getting a good response, so if you had your eye on something I suggest you grab it before anyone else does!! Our cosy shawls are getting second and third looks and I just sold two pairs of woolen slippers. Prices are lowered on our rich handwoven blankets. New merchandise coming soon, we have to make room!

Stay warm, everybody!!

Merry Christmas Eve from La Naranja!!!

Hello everybody! We're hunkered down for a long day, Christmas Eve here at La Naranja. For some reason, we decided to stay open until 8 pm today, so if you are having a wander down Bilderdijkstraat, stop on in and have a piece of honey candy from Las Alpujarras! We'll be closed tomorrow. Have a lovely Christmas, everyone.

Busy December!!!

Hi there everybody!!! Wow what a busy December it's been so far. Our winter display is up and we are busy with promotion at La Naranja and, just to make things interesting, we decided to move house at this time as well.


We have a new hood! After four lovely years in Oud West's yuppified Helmbersbuurt, living right smack dab next to Restaurant Blue Pepper, we have picked up our (way too many) belongings and headed southeast to a funky and friendly area on the edge of De Pijp. We are a stone's throw from both the Amstel river and the end of the Albert Cuyp market. I can't wait to explore!!!

Whee, new rugs!!

I'm so happy with the changes we made, now with all the pretty new colorful rugs in one room with the tapestries. It's so cozy down there, just in time for winter!!! People are loving our rugs! Thank heavens!! By George, we may have found our niche in Amsterdam. People do appreciate seeing nice things they've never seen before, and knowing what a tough time Spain is having now, I can't wait to sell everything we have at La Naranja and hurry back on a buying trip to help keep the Andalusian economy rolling.

Happy Thursday everybody, thanks for dropping by! If you are in Amsterdam, it's late shopping day, as it is every Thursday, and we will join the many shops that stay open until 9 p.m.

Gollem

Nice chat last night at Cafe Gollem in the centrum with the Foodie and Drinks Meetup group. So many people moving in and out of Amsterdam all the time, trying to figure it out, meeting and greeting and working and seeking work and falling in and out of love. As Liz, the Meetup organizer said, the story of "how did you get here" often involves a flame no longer burns.

Cafe Gollem is a classic brown cafe. The brown bars, or brown cafe's, refer to the classic Dutch pub. Think dark wood, rickety bar stools, native Dutch speakers and decor that could be hundreds of years old. Don't think about the bathroom, which will possibly be a crudely plumbed ceramic urn under a pull-chain tank atop a cracked tile floor. You will probably not have toilet paper or much space to maneuver. But this is the Real Amsterdam, and Cafe Gollem delivers in spades. High on atmosphere, low on space, with lots and lots and lots of different tasty brews to try from all over the world. I went for a Chimay Wit (white), and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Proust!

De Drie Graefjes

Happy November everybody! Well I kicked off the month at a brunch on Sunday with a great group of gals from the Women's Meetup Group of Amsterdam, of which I have somehow become Assistant Organizer, in title at least.

Barb, our real organizer, suggested De Drie Graefjes, a cosy little eatery just off Dam Square. There were fifteen of us, and we claimed half of the tiny upstairs of the restaurant. De Drie Graefjes offers a lot of brunch items. Plenty of yummy muffins and cookies, egg dishes, croques, tosties, healthy sandwiches, salads and more.

I thought the service was very competent, as we all arrived at different times and ordered different things yet we never wanted for anything. I thought 12 euros for coffee, mineral water and a croque with egg and cheese and tip was very reasonable for the heart of the tourist trap. It was great to see a full turnout for this meetup, and I met some new people and was pleased to find a lot of women eager to dive into the culture season, just starting here. One new acquaintance and I are going to take advantage of Museum Night this Friday at the Van Gogh, before we slip away to the American-owned Jet Lounge for another Ladies Meetup. Oh My God I'm actually having a social life!!!

I'm looking forward to seeing the folks at the other end of the table that I wasn't able to speak with. Such an interesting and diverse group of women, from all over the globe. It's especially important to get out and about now that it's so dark and dreary much of the time. Sometimes it's easy to get into the trap of waiting for nice weather to do anything, but if you do that here, you'll be immobile till April.

So, yes, it was raining by the time I left the brunch and I soaked my thighs on the bike ride home, but really, what's the big deal. I've been wet before, I think I can handle it. See, I'm going native already.

Have a great week everyone!

Happy Halloween everybody!!!

Happy Halloween everybody! It's a working Halloween day for me, but just as well, because Amsterdam does not celebrate Halloween in a big way. Come by La Naranja today if you're out and about on Bilderdijkstraat and say BOO to the gal in orange and black behind the counter!!!

Amsterdam Hours

For Americans, the opening times of shops in Amsterdam is a complete mystery. In the United States, if I had the money, I was able to purchase just about anything anywhere anytime. America is the land of "Everything Now," and it takes a while for expat Americans to adjust to the much more limited European shopping hours.

So, for those of you struggling to make sense of the shop on the corner that seems to have no logical hours whatsoever, allow me to enlighten you. Restaurants are in a category unto themselves, but other small businesses in Amsterdam tend to follow a general pattern. Most are open roughly 10:00 a.m. till 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday. Most shops opt to stay open late on Thursday, often closing at 9 p.m. On Saturday, however, the shopping day wraps early, at 5 pm. The big department stores and chain stores tend to have more expanded hours; but most small business follow this schedule. In addition, for the businesses that do open on Monday, many won't do so until noon. I often see groups of bewildered would-be shoppers wandering the shut shops of Leidsestraat on a Monday morning. Truly, here, it just doesn't pay to get up early on a Monday, there's nothing open!

We've decided to adopt the norm, so La Naranja's hours are:

La Naranja opening hours:

Dinsdag/Tuesday 1100-1900
Woensdag/Wed 1100-1900
Donderdag/Thur 1100-2100
Vrijdag/Friday 1100-1900
Zaterdag/Saturday 1100-1700
Zondag/Sunday CLOSED
Mandag/Monday CLOSED


Tot ziens!

Halloween Display

This was a fun one to put together, and the kids are dragging the moms over to see the pumpkin. It's been up for about a week now, our first display since the permanent "La Naranja" banner was installed.

Pear still life by Brett Scott Laumeister.

She's eating!

I'm ready for my close-up, Suzanne

Hi everyone! Been very quiet here in blogland, because I've been busy as nursemaid to the above feline. Dot is my 13-year-old darlin', and she recently had to have a tooth extraction, after which she needed a great deal of encouragement to begin eating again.

As all caring pet lovers know, the vet time is usually an unwelcome event in our lives. Being an expat just adds to the anxiety. Being unable to communicate about complex medical things while concerned about our beloved pets is a stress cocktail that I've imbibed way too often. So, thinking that others may be combing the internet for solutions, I'd like to share a bit of my experience with vets in Amsterdam. I have two cats, and I visited three different clinics before deciding that Dierenkliniek de Jordaan was my favorite. I love the neighborhood, and I find the vet there very caring yet cautious, an open-minded traditionally trained vet. I'm not keen on treatment-happy vets. I also am a believer in natural raw meat diets and am now back to making my own cat food.

A recent visit required a tooth extraction for my cat, and my vet recommended a specialist for this, Magnus Soeverein of Dierenkliniek Hoofdweg, a state-of-the-art facility in a nice area of De Baarsjes. The tooth extraction appears to have been done extremely well, and the clinic was very attentive about follow-up.

Dot vexed me greatly by taking a very long time to begin eating after the tooth extraction, longer than normal. The Dr. Soeverein was getting anxious about her lack of feeding, and beginning to consider a feeding tube in the side of her esophagus for a few weeks to make sure her food got down. I was against this, knowing that Dot processes everything super slowly, and wanting to let her natural hunger be the motivator. I did not want to put her through any more stress. My husband rightly assessed that her troubles were more psychological than physical.

Teeth act as hands for a cat in many cases. Tooth removal is huge for a cat, especially the canines, and Dot had both her front canines removed. Cats might not understand that they are still able to eat. Finally, going from feeding her with a syringe to a baby's nose cleaner to my own fingers going from the bowl to her mouth and encouraging her, she finally started to understand that she could still eat.

I am a huge fan of Dr. Pitcairn's Natural Health for Dogs and Cats and the raw chicken diet I am using on Dot now is based on his recipes. Today she ate a meal without any coaxing, which is huge, and I'm finally starting to breathe a little easier.

So, if you are wondering about vets in Amsterdam, I can tell you that I am still happy with my regular vet in the Jordaan. It showed a lot of humility for her to say, "this case is beyond my expertise," and I appreciated that she she knew who to turn to. The Hoofdweg clinic was professional in every way, including the bill, which is one reason I'll be returning to the Jordaan for my routine visits.

I think Dot has a lot of cuddles left in her, and I thank everyone for your good wishes and prayers!

UPDATE with good news: December 09 ... Dot is recovering nicely and chowing down once again, sleepin' by my side every night. Go Dotster! Go Dotster!!

All is Right wtih The World

Is it just me? The city seems happier to me than it was in summer. Maybe because half of Amsterdam residents apparently fled the city this summer, taking advantage of favorable pound and dollar markets over their holidays, which made the yuppie neighborhoods like ghost towns.

But it's not just that all the residents are back snugly in their homes. To me there is a relief that came over the people with the first cool rain and the first chilly evening. As if, finally, their belief that skies must be full of dark clouds was affirmed. The Dutch have a Seize-the-Sun mentality that appears to be genetic. They fill the public parks in droves at the first hint of sunshine. But at the same time, I have never seen a people so resilient in inclement weather. It's perfectly normal to see friends riding their bikes side by side on their way to work or play, talking and smiling as the rain soaks through their hair and splashes up their legs.

And, like the relief of returning to a humble home after a dazzling holiday, they greet the inevitable autumn gloom with a relaxed smile. After all, there is nothing so comforting as the familiar, and they have had centuries to acclimate to what most would label "inclement weather."

For La Naranja, this bodes well, as we sell things that are perfect for getting cosy. I've definitely seen more interest in our wares since the temperatures dropped, and the unique rugs are really getting attention.

We had a fabulous summer this year in Amsterdam, a nice long stretch of idyllic clear skies and mild temperatures, so, as one Dutch acquaintance said to me, "now it's time to pay," a perspective which I find a very sensible.

Then again, if you are paying for your idyllic summer with months of gezillig coziness, then just how steep a payment is it, really?

Do you have a great idea for keeping your thoughts sunny during the Dutch winters? Let me know, and I'll share.

Welcome to Amsterdam in October!!!

Yes, we Amsterdammers can now all collectively sing, "The Party's Over." The cafe tables are taken up, the promise of the odd Indian summer day becomes a fantasy, and as the days get shorter we are greeted by more frequent gusts of wind and longer sprinkles of rain. This my friends, is when the going gets tough.

Yet, the Dutch have braved cold, dark winters for centuries without fleeing the country en masse, so perhaps it's time to take their perspective. The key to enjoying these potentially dreary months is, everybody now, "gezellig."

Shortly after arriving in The Netherlands you will hear or learn of this word. It does not translate directly, but it in part refers to that unique sense of camaraderie and coziness one feels when welcomed into a warm, friendly place on a cold night. Bundle up for a walk through the residential streets during the cold nights through the winter, and you'll see little charming scenes everywhere. Living rooms filled with people talking and sharing a bite; dining room tables lovingly set for six or more, candles burning everywhere, one living room looking more welcoming than the next. Oh, it's not hard to see, for the Dutch usually keep their street-level curtains wide open. This is expected. Why, only somebody with something to hide would need to close their curtains before bedtime.

But there is more to winter here than gezellig time with friends. And thank God, because that little scene is hard to come by for the new kids in town that don't know anyone to be gezellig with.

Enter, The Culture Season. The beauty of culture is that it's there whether your friends are organized or not. One can always venture forth alone and see or do something, and in Amsterdam there is an official "culture season" that runs from October through June, and it's the best time to catch a great performance or musical event.

For basic information about being here in October check out this site by Sharon McAllister. And while there check out her other articles as well. Sharon writes very knowledgeably about "Mokum" and her postings are full of links and hints to help you with your experience here.

If you are tired of venturing forth alone and seeking like-minded souls with whom to explore the city, I highly recommend going over to www.meetup.com and signing up for a few groups.

There. You now have no excuse. You have plenty to do, and people to do them with. Bring on the cold, bring on the dark, we have gezellig on our side!!!!!

La Naranja - display window

Fall display at La Naranja

Tuesday, September 15

La Naranja will proudly open it's doors to the public on Tuesday, September 15, 2009

at least, that's the plan. Watch this space for the latest on La Naranja!

Day after tomorrow????

Well, naturally, the sign did not arrive today, so we won't open Tuesday, but it is looking like this week. We're down to days, now, fingers crossed!!!

Rumor has it....

That La Naranja is opening very soon .... perhaps even this very week! Could it be! Is it possible??? It's the mystery of the summer!!!!!!!! But the autumnal (heavy on the orange, of course) display must mean that something's afoot.....shhhhhh! It's a secret!!!! Tuesday? Did someone say Tuesday?

Gay Pride weekend festival Amsterdam 2009

This smart cookie staked out her place just in time. About thirty minutes later you couldn't get up to these rails for the throngs of people, and the floats pass right under there on the canal below.












Another successful Pride weekend. The whole city was smiling, and the sun held until Sunday morning. Lavender seems to be slowly replacing the de riguer pink. Is there a color revolution going on? Something to watch! Will second-hand furniture stores be suddenly glutted with pink chairs and knick knacks? Stay tuned!!!

What shop?

At this point, we are very close to opening. But every time I say that, 100 more must-do-tasks magically appear between the utterance and said "O Day."

Every step has been chock full of surprises, most of which caused delays. I've been woefully neglectful of this blog, thus, I'm sure, disappointing legions of faithful readers *cough*. So, I'll offer a few photos of what's happening while we get things ready for O-Day. These are pictures of La Naranja products, the Spanish region that supplies our shop and La Naranja renovation in progress, enjoy!! Meanwhile, check out the latest on La Naranja news at www.lanaranja.nl

Back from Spain!

Hi Everyone! We're back from Las Alpujarras, a mountain range in Spain. What lovely unspoiled scenery, here's a sample. We found lots of nooks and crannies and collected all sort of goodies for La Naranja. We're waiting on some deliveries from Spain and doing the final preparations! Lots of great photos to sift through. Busy Busy Busy!

What's available now at the flower market.

Only 258 days until Christmas!

If flowers are not your thing and you've been dragged to the flower market in Amsterdam, you might want to while away your time in this charming shop about halfway down the market. Open all year, it has some of the best Christmas stuff around. The little blackboard in the center of the entrance counts down the days until Christmas.

Alley off flower market, Amsterdam

What I saw Easter Sunday, Amsterdam 2009

Christian Huygens was a Dutch physicist who
studied time pieces and optical devices. His accomplishments include discovering the first moon of Saturn, Titan. This commerative tile work honoring him is on Leidsestraat, usually in shadow but I got lucky this day. Since it's at the second-story level, it largely goes unnoticed by the shopping hordes passing below.

What I saw Easter Sunday

The canal boat ride outside The American Hotel was jammed today, perhaps people pouring out of the famous jazz brunch the hotel offers on Sundays. Finally, the trees over the canals are getting leaves.

little lake in volkstuinpark

The volkstuinpark boasts its own little lakeway, with several manmade bird habitats to attract and harbor wildlife.

The little lake in volkstuinpark sloterdikermeer, Amsterdam

A-frame in volkstuinpark, with matching garden house, aww!

house in volkstuinpark

The entire garden park is surrounded by either a fence or this canal, which effectively acts as a moat against wanderers over from the Westergasfabriek park. There were bags of dirt and compost everywhere, people getting their little proud plots ready for spring and summer. I get the distinct impression that this tiny community engages in garden one-upmanship to a fierce degree.

ranch style in volkstuinpark

So small, but it makes you think: how much stuff and space do I really need??

darling house at a volkstuinpark

I just love it when they have little things that match, like this adorable blue property here.

The People's Garden

Happy Easter everyone! It's kind of a hazy cool day here, but no precip so far. I thought this would be a good day to show you some pics I snapped a few sunny days ago at one of my favorite corners of Amsterdam, the People's Garden near the Westergasfabriek.

Go along the tracks west from Centraal Station and you'll soon encounter the sprawling culture complex in far west Amsterdam called the Westergasfabriek. It's a sun grabber magnet, full of people enjoying the open spaces and many cafes that do a brisk business on the grounds of this interesting bit of urban renewal.

This entry is not about the Fabriek, but about the less-touted collection of little faerie-like garden houses at the far corner of the Westergasfabriek, called the Volkstuinpark Sloterdijkermeer, which roughly translates as the People's Garden Park of Sloterdijkermeer.

Personal open space is a rarity in Amsterdam, as most people live in flats above the ground. Parks abound and people use them freely, but there is nothing like quite having your own little plot of dirt to putter around in and grow some flowers and vegetables, and these little People's Gardens are extremely popular.

This particular garden park must be the Beverly Hills of these little neighborhoods, because there is room for a an entire, albeit tiny, house, along with an even tinier matching mini garden house and maybe room for a tiny pond or stream. Cars and motorbikes are prohibited in the area. It's a perfect warm-weather retreat. Amsterdammers wait up to ten years to get one of these places, which are only open from March through October.

This entrance way is foreboding, but I just blundered on in there, figuring I'd play dumb if anyone tried to shoo me out. I'm so glad I went, because there is probably no better time to grab a shot of these houses, as some of the owners still weren't back and the foliage has not obscured them. They are just perfect for two people, so darn cosy. I want to get on the list!!!

Amsterdam entry tiles

What is happening??? Here are two examples of the kind of tiles I see frequently oustside Amsterdam building entrances. Now, the choice of tiles that I typically see is, to me, mind-bogglingly wrong, and I just can't figure it out. The Dutch tend to have excellent, European-refined taste and have turned out centuries of beautiful art and architecture. So what the heck happened with these entrances? These were put in a long time ago, and I have to wonder why. Did the taste of the time run that strange? Did people use remnant tiles for their street entrances? I really have to document more of these.

Redhead with dog.

There is a certain red hair color that Dutch women wear, that I find very intriguing. I love these women with big wild red buns, and you see that quite a bit here. This was snapped last weekend, when spring peeked out for a spell. Taken in Amsterdam's Oud West neighborhood, on Bosboom Toussaint at the edge of Helmersbuurt. We're back to a cool rain today, I'm afraid.

Bikes on a boat.

I love the last light on the canal waters. These three guys were transporting their bikes on the boat.

Typical canal view

You'll see a lot of this type of view if you wander through the canal belt. I never tire of the charm. This is a nice time of year to get shots of the buildings, while there is some sun on the facades but the leaves aren't out masking the view of them. There are two little sight-seeing paddle boats in the canal, and a Tuk-Tuk bike taxi going over the bridge.

The Sun Grabbers

deHerengracht Cafe on Herengracht at Leidsestraat has hit the season in full swing. People braved the cold in their coats and there was not a seat to be had, which is usual for this sun- and-be-seen Amsterdam favorite spot. Next door a couple of gentlemen enjoy their own sunny spot.



Here is a woman and her dog relaxing outside a home on the canal belt, grabbing some afternoon gezellig in their personal spot of sun. After a long Dutch winter people are desperate for sun, and this is a common sight. Even though it's still scarf and boots weather, people will drag little bits of living room onto their stoop and soak up their sun right smack in full public view. An interesting mix of public and private mindedness, the Dutch. While it's perfectly acceptable to conduct your private relaxation time on the public street, it is not acceptable to stare, nor take a picture, which I did very discreetly and hastily.

The tourists are coming! The tourists are coming!

The days are finally getting longer. Europe just went through daylight savings time last night. And the streets of Amsterdam are starting to fill up on weekends. Here is Leidsestraat, a main shopping street and artery of central Amsterdam, on the past Thursday afternoon. Thursdays the shops stay open later than normal, till 8, 9 or even 10 pm, so it's a big shopping day or kickoff shopping weekend for out of towners. Yes, we've had a bit of sun lately, though it's raining at the moment. Still, look at what people are wearing. Still plenty chilly here.

Gable Stone

I love looking at the different gable stones that adorn many of the Amsterdam houses, particularly those along the centrum's canal belt. They depict something of the original building, either a family crest or a symbol of the business within. In this case, what looks to be a 17th century Dutch washing house. These gable stones are carefully preserved when a building's facade is demolished, and reinstalled with the reconstruction. It would be a great subject for a book, with the history of each one.

The VVAG society translates roughly as "Friends of the Gable Stones," and they are committed to preserving these wonderful architectural details. They have a large collection of photographs on Flickr, here.

I saw the Richard Avedon at FOAM, a gallery in Amsterdam.  I  liked that the first image one encountered was the famous portrait of Martha Graham with the elephants. I was sort of glad to get it out of the way. The most startling image was one of Katherine Hepburn, who I was sure was David Bowie until I looked at the title. The shot of Marilyn Monroe almost moved me to tears. it's so simple, and I've seen it a million times, but she looks so vulnerable and lost when you see it lifesize. Interesting. I was glad I saw the exhibit. I was not glad that i had to wait in the rain for 10 minutes. Awnings are often prohibited by the city building code, and that's the case at FOAM, so bring your brellie!! Speaking of which, I've changed my umbrella loyalty from Knirps to Senz---made by a Dutch guy, but more on that later.

La Naranja

We have floor! Whee!!!






A man and his model...and did I mention floor?

Your Hotel Checker in Amsterdam

One thing I love about living in Amsterdam is the plethora and range of hotels found here. One thing I dislike about said hotels is that so many of them are poorly kept. Shoddy. Tattered. Filthy. Understaffed. Ill-equipped. And that's a three-star.

HOW CAN I BE SURE MY ROOM IS A GOOD ONE: If you are really, really concerned about your room in Amsterdam, then you probably need me to check it out for you. I will spend the night in the hotel of your choice and utilize whichever services you are curious about, then give you a detailed report via telephone the next day. You pay my expenses, i.e. the room cost plus the cost of extra services you request. If you want me see what 100 euros will get me in the dining room I'll do that. If you want to see how efficient their laundry services are, I'll check that. Beyond the expenses of what you want me to investigate, you pay nothing. I'll also email you at least two quality digital photos, one of the hotel's exterior, another of the room I'm staying in.

WHY WOULD I WANT TO PAY YOU MONEY TO STAY IN A HOTEL ROOM: Only if the stakes are high, obviously. If you are coming to A'dam for a wacky weed weekend, then this is a bit over the top. But if your superior just instructed you to arrange a perfect fortnight in Amsterdam and the quality of the hotel is paramount and you don't have the time nor inclination to wade through a sea of internet reviews and hotel promos, then paying me to check out the facilities before you book is an efficient way to either ensure a good choice or ward off disaster. Or, if you own a hotel and you need a spy, I'd be perfect. I'm detail-oriented, and I notice everything.

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS: Because I simply love staying in hotels, and I love Amsterdam, and I know a lot of visitors are unfamiliar with the hotels here, so I see this as my way of shining some light on the whole situation. I'm not so flush that I can justify the expenditure of a hotel room in a city where I already have a perfectly good place to lay my head at night, so that's where you come in. I don't want to be a full time hotel inspector, but I am a great believer in consumer reviews (I am gonow at epinions), and this seems like a way to get more savvy about the very city I'm living in without breaking the bank to do so.

HOW CAN I TRUST YOU: Well, I've had this blog up for a while, and I'm not a secret blogger, you can figure out who I am, where I am. I'm opening a shop in Amsterdam, so I'm not about to ruin my reputation for the sake of one night free in a hotel room.

WHAT IF I NEED THIS REVIEW IN WRITING/MORE PHOTOS: That can be arranged, but there would be a fee involved, which would be upwards of 25 euros, depending on how much detail you want in the report or how many extra photos you want. Email me; we'll work it out.

BUT I WANT FREE INFO!: And I'm happy to oblige. I'm familiar with (i.e. I've seen the room and bathroom) the following hotels in Amsterdam: Quentin Leidsesquare (AVOID!); Quentin Leidsekade (good location, other problems); Le Coin (recommend); The Sphynx (shudder), Smith (not great) and a few B&Bs that unfortunately are out of business. Culture tip-google search tip: In the USA B&B usually implies a rural house or an inn, but the way the Dutch use it does not signify the same thing; in Amsterdam a B&B simply refers to any apartment that's been made available for renting. All in all, I think you get a better bang for your buck staying in what they call a B&B here, and of course I'd investigate those the same way, but I know of none to recommend at the moment.

I WANT TO ARRANGE THIS: email me at xannaziskey@gmail.com and we'll get it started.