A Lease in Hand

I've been here for precisely fourteen days, and in that time, Meredith and I have made it to Brisbane three times. The third and final time was yesterday when we signed the lease and went to our new apartment all by ourselves. That is, without the help of our friendly neighborhood real estate agent, who is actually pretty cool and kicked ass for us.

The flat (yep, the immersion is beginning) is located in an old building in Fortitude Valley, a neighborhood that has everything, including, most importantly so far, The Alibi Room. It's got beer, coffee, free Wi-Fi and BLTs. It also has touches of New York City. Okay the only thing I noticed so far was the framed picture of a CBGBs bathroom stall. Kind of foul. I'm happy to say I never had the displeasure of sitting in one.

We were up there for about three and a half days over the weekend, seeing as many places as we could. Some were okay, others had been taken, and then we saw the one.It's a two-level place with a spiral staircase and two long rooms. Washer and dryer and a refrigerator. Most places here don't come with fridges, so this is a plus. What else? A terrace overlooking a courtyard that doesn't look to be often used. Air conditioner.

Then there's the neighborhood. It's called "The Valley." Markets with used books, bars, coffee and food. Things to do and places to walk to. We're moving in two weeks and Meredith starts her surgery action about two weeks later. So until then, we're gonna explore the city, taking trains from the main station to basically everywhere. That includes the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, as well as everything in the Cultural Centre.