Maybe it’s because a month earlier I was in a 800-year-old house in Adge, France. A few weeks after that, I stayed in a bed and breakfast in a building that dates back to 1700 in the tiny village of Rossiglione, Italy.
Maybe, it's because these two rentals drew me to an ancient past. Rich history seemed to seep out of the corners of the walls and ceilings.
I learned all I could from my hosts but, my mind was flooded with questions: Who lived her before? What was their occupation? Did they have children? What was important to them? I wanted to know more about them.
After all, despite the centuries, I was sharing their home, walking across the same floor they walked, climbing their stone steps, touching the floor with my shoes exactly where their shoes landed.
If I listened, really concentrated, could I feel their existence, hear their footsteps, sense their spirits?
Maybe, it was large windows which allowed beautiful fresh air and an abundance of natural light to stream in and cast provocative shadows.
And, maybe..well, just maybe…. Enough said.
After Agde and Rossiglione, I was in Pavia, Italy.
And, the truth?
My Pavia apartment sucked!
One of the most important amenities for me when searching for lodging is light...lots of light...big windows for more and more light!
Yes, I looked for large windows and the Pavia apartment did, indeed, have large windows. Unfortunately, both windows, one in the living area and one in the bathroom, had annoying problems:
1. The windows had tall doors that opened to the inside. The actual window glass was rippled, designed to obscure the view of outsiders. But, obviously, the view was garbled from both sides.
2. What's more, the glass covered about three quarters of the height of the window opening. Just high enough to block my view...and the flow of fresh air.
3. The bathroom window opened vertically, with one door. However, the door could only be opened less than half way because it hit the shower stall wall. Also, of greater annoyance, the door opened over the commode. And, same as 2. above, any fresh air from the top of the rippled glass was trapped in that small corner.
4. Finally, my apartment was on the ground floor of a tall building. On the outside building, a canopy, just above the ground floor, reached out about fifteen feet from the building wall. And, yes, the canopy was the perfect fabrication to shade my apartment from any sun light.
Admittedly, More Truth.
This Pavia lodging is what it is. I’m thinking the rippled windows had to do with safety and the rumored high-level of mosquito infestation. Also, while light is of the highest importance to me, perhaps, not so to others.
Truth be told, the kindess of my Pavia host far outweighed the criticism of the apartment. He picked me up and took me back to the train station. The frig and pantry was full of food, including a bottle of wine.
Finally, More Good News
Previously, I explained the steps I take to find the lodging the suit my needs in a podcast: Airbnb Podcast. Guess I need to add to that podcast: Look for photos that illustrate the VIEW out the windows. If those photographs are not available, I will kindly ask the host to send me photos.
Thank goodness, I always learn and learning brightens and lightens me!
Check out the photo galleries: Agde, Rossiglione, and Pavia.