living in a cave

France, morning

I am looking for an apartment. My lovable landlady decided to kick me out from her apartment, because she wants to come back to live here. So, I have time till the end of June to find another place. Plenty of time you would think. Not really. Everyone complains about the economic crisis and here finding an apartment is impossible (too many students and in the summer also plenty of tourists) and finding an apartment which is not incredibly expensive is even more difficult.

First apartment that I saw: great place and great location! very good condition. Negative point, the bedroom is underground (see the picture), in what it looks like a cave. Now, it is true that I love caves, especially if full of different animals, but living in a cave, with no windows....well, that is a bit different. It wouldn't be bad if once outside the bedroom, you would have a room with a large window from where a lot of light can come in. Instead, the large window is there, but it faces the inside of the building, so no very much chance to get light. And I am a Mediterranean person. I need a lot of light!!!
Beside this, this apartment is the best thing I saw so far.

Then I went to the agency and asked for apartments. Everything now is at least 100 euros more of what it was last year. There is not too much available in the first place, because people now try to rent their apartments on a week by week base to tourists, so that they can charge them more and make more money. What is available is small, not furnished and expensive. For probably only other 6 months that I will stay here (if they don't give me a new contract), I don't feel like buying furniture that I will have to sell again for half of the price after only six months. On top of this, an empty apartment is now 100 euros more of what I am paying for my furnished apartment. Ok, mine is badly furnished, but it is still furnished. It is crazy!

Yesterday I saw another place. Nice. Very nice. Great location. Rent requested: 600 euros. It is probably worth it 500. The kitchen basically doesn't exist. They just got some piece here and there and put it together. There is an old broken fridge standing in the way. The sink doesn't have a real tap and in any case from the tube that should function as a tab there is running water coming down. Of course the owner of the place knows about it. She just didn't find a way to repair it. Basically if you need the water, you open the central water, when you are done with it, you close the central water....really practical. There is no storage place or any place where you can actually cook and prepare your food. The bathroom has been designed in such a way that if you sit on the toilet your feet hang in an empty space, because either you are 2 mt tall, or there is no way that your feet can touch the floor. The bathroom has a small window, which opens on the common stairs of the building. The owner also left some of her stuff in the apartment. So, there are kids things here and there. If she would fix the things that are not working, replace the not working fridge with a freezer (there is not freezer) and lower the rent, I would take it. If, if, if.....I am sure that for how the market goes now, she can also rent it the way it is at the price she wants :-(

Today I will see another place....