For those of you who follow my blog, you may remember how pleased I was to find this flat.

It was on the street that I loved from the first time I saw it.  It was, in fact, the perfect street.  The flat was just right for me.  It was, in fact, the perfect flat.  And, so, this was the-perfect-flat-on-the-perfect-street – as far as I was concerned.

The street has many beautiful buildings.  It is a joy to walk down (as I do every morning when I take the dogs out) and there are many small shops and restaurants.  It gives a ‘village’ feel, even though we are no more than 10 minutes from one of the busiest and main shopping streets in Milan.  It is a haven from the normal hustle and bustle of the city.

We have everything we need here and I would hardly need to go anywhere else.  Our favourite pizza restaurant is just on the corner up the street.  There’s an Indian too, although I haven’t been there for ages.  There’s a small version of one of the supermarket chains, some cafés, a chemist, the place where I just had some pictures repaired, the vets are just off the street.  Yes.  All-in-all, it is the perfect street.

And the flat is wonderful.  It is old (1920s or 30s) – a little Art Nouveau with very high ceilings (that I cannot reach, even with my step ladders), there are nooks and crannies, a built-in cupboard in the kitchen (that was, probably, an old larder) – the flat has been divided up from a bigger flat, making it more interesting.  The rooms are large (for the city of Milan) and, even with my large English furniture, it is not too claustrophobic.

It took me a while to learn how to shut the windows properly.  They have an ornate handle.

To close them properly, you must first pull the handle away from the door.  It has a strange joint inside.

Then you close the door with the handle still out towards you.  Then push the handle closed but at 90° to the down-frame.

Then you bring the handle down to make it flush with the frame.

At this point the window is secure.

The one problem with these windows are that, because they are old, they are a bit draughty.  They are not really secure, either, to be honest.  It wouldn’t really take much to break in.

Also, the front door is not one door but two.  The left side (as you look at the picture) opens normally.  The right side has a bar keeping it firm and closed and you take the bar out to open both of them (when you are taking stuff out or having stuff delivered).

But, soon, all this is to change.  Some guys came in to measure all the windows and doors.  Apparently, the building administrators (landlords) are replacing all of them.

I know what this means.  We shall have modern double (or triple?) glazed windows.  Probably ones that open outwards from the top as well as open fully as normal.  They will be wonderfully good at keeping the noise out (when closed) and there won’t be any more draughts.  They will be much more secure.

In addition, the front door is to be replaced.  It will be replaced by a single door.  This door will be much more secure and will probably have a spy hole to see people when they come before you have to open the door.  The lock will be on of those that is securing not only the opening but also the top and bottom making it almost impossible to break in.  And, again, there will be no draughts.

This is great, except for one thing.  It will take a little away from the flat.  It won’t really be ‘in keeping’ with the style.  I am a little sad that they will be going even if I know that the result will be a warmer (and you know how I like it hot) and certainly more secure.

Hence the fact that I have taken photographs.  I love the handles and the way that they work and for all that the new ones will be easier and more efficient, it seems a shame that these ingenious pieces of engineering and aesthetically attractive handles will be replaced by fairly boring white plastic handles.

Ah, well, it is progress, I suppose.

Oh, yes, and the shutters are being replaced too.  You can see the style of shutters in the flats opposite mine in the following picture.  Maybe we shall get ones that close from the top – a single shutter – rather than these that close together.  Again, more secure – but it’s still a shame, in a way.