Maison à Ixelles or Nathalie’s place is a perfect place. Let me begin this review in purely numerical terms before I pour my heart out.
The house is very spacious and the location is perfect. We didn’t need to use public transport at all, but in case you need it, there are two bus lines within a 5 minutes walking distance. Place Saint-Boniface and Chaussée d’Ixelles are 3 minutes walks, and it takes 10 minutes on foot to Place Flagey, Porte de Namur or Place Jourdan.
So, the location is flawless and the house is very large…. But there is so much more to it. Nathalie’s place is a real home and you can make this out from the fact that the place feels extremely comfortable, that there is a personal touch in every detail and piece of furniture and that you can find whatever you wish for: dishes, utensils, house appliances, you name it! And the dishes and pottery are absolutely charming.
Nathalie and Carl are perfect hosts. They made us feel truly welcomed. They are very easy-going, positive and interesting people and this is reflected in the overall ambiance and, as I said, in every single detail in their home. Also, they gave as advice on what to see and how to get there, and prepared a pile of guide-books and maps which waited for us on the dining table (my personal favourite piece of furniture – though the choice is far from being an easy one). We were able to reach them whenever we needed. We were lucky enough to meet them in person the day before we “moved in” and we had a most pleasant and interesting chat with them in the garden where they offered us coffee.
And as for the garden…. Where do I begin? Couldn’t stop singing Elton John’s Love Builds a Garden from the cartoon Gnomeo and Juliet. It is huge and intimate at the same time, with flowers, trees, bushes and Mediterranean herbs we were welcome to use – rosemary, basil, thyme, oregano…. Green parrots overfly it and blackbirds too who occasionally land to say hi. Very friendly cats from the neighbouring garden also like to drop by for a cuddle and the only permanent animal resident is Dudule, a most amazing turtle. For added convenience, we had at our disposal a barbecue, a dining table, a coffee table, garden chairs, armchairs and chaises longues … In the evenings, we would sit in the garden for a nightcap and light a super charming string of light-bulbs in different colours… In short, we were tremendously happy. We were in heaven.
I wish it could have lasted forever.