practice rooms

comparisons sometimes help with description:

practice rooms I'm used to in the US colleges:

little rooms, just big enough for an upright piano with a mirror or a grand piano
no windows
frequent problems with florescent lighting
plastered walls with chunks missing and sometimes random notes pinned to the walls
claustrophobic
no ventilation
smelly
spit and rosin remains
underground

practice rooms I'm getting used to:

12+ feet ceilings
antique paned windows
spacious rooms all along winding staircases
views of Paris out the window
branches overlooking your work
room to hear yourself
intricate carving along the walls and ceiling
golden chandelier in the center of the ceiling
pleasant wind tousling your hair
busts and paintings of famous composers who have composed in this very room....
Have I already mentioned that I love it here?