Antique Keys

I love antique keys. There’s something romantic, mysterious, and unique about antique keys. Most antique keys are of European and very seldom an Asian antique key would surface. Frankly, I have never seen an Asian antique key.

My first encounter with an European antique key was at one of my many visits to Italy. At one of the overnight stay, we checked into a very nice yet small hotel at Assisi. Most European hotels are small with small sleeping rooms san bathrooms. If a room comes with a bathroom then the bathroom is the tiniest.

At the Guest Check-In, a very handsome older Italian gentleman handed me one of the most beautiful antique key to open the door to my sleeping room. This key was probably made of iron because it was heavy. The key was about two inches wide at the top handle. The body was about four inches long and its end was about ¾ of an inch wide, like a tiny flag. The top handle was shaped like a tiny beautifully made crown and the key end looked like a gorgeous Gucci stiletto.

There I was, holding this beautiful antique key and ready to open my tiny hotel sleeping room. I knew my room was going to be small because most European hotel sleeping rooms were small. I also knew that it was going to be hot because Italians turned off their A/C system in October even when the outside average temperature was still in the 80’s.

After a few quick turns, I opened a heavy wooden door to my sleeping room. Yes, the room was small but it was beautifully decorated and it was long and narrow, about 10’x5’. The room was dark because everything in it was espresso mahogany wood. There were the basics, a small twin bed sat against the left long wall, a small antique desk with an art deco style desk lamp, and a small armoire, all sat on top of this cool, smooth, and beautiful black & white marble floor. Yes, there was even the tiniest bathroom to the left of my room, next to the end of my bed. What surprised me most about my room was the giant floor to ceiling window with crisp white linen curtains and espresso mahogany shutters.

I took off my shoes, sat my bags on the floor, pulled aside the curtains, adjusted the shutters, and pushed open the window. What a surprise! I was the luckiest girl in Italy that evening. Yes, I was also the happiest girl living in Italy that evening because nothing can make a girl happier than to have a room with a balcony overlooking the piazza.

Yes, I had a room with a view.

La Dolce Vita!