~Paris 7.0~ First Days Settling In

 The agency we used to find the apt was Lodgis.  They were very friendly and fast to respond to any of our questions.  The apt managers were friendly and quite helpful.  Benjamin spoke very good English.

 Our apartment building was located at 7, Ave de la Motte-Picquet in the 7th arr.  The little green door between Max's Restaurant and the auto repair shop is the entrance.
They were doing construction on the street; Woody watched the daily progress and was amazed at the efficiency of the workers.  It was completed before we left.

The building's elevator was certified for 3 persons.

This photo shows Woody and I in the elevator.  We were always coming up with scenarios for fitting in a 3rd person.   We could barely fit in if we had a bag                          of groceries.  

We were thankful for the elevator since our apt was on the 4th floor.

The apt was quite roomy.  There was a living room with a dining area and kitchen in the front facing the street.

The bedroom which you could walk around, had a chest of drawers and closet space.  They really know how to utilize the limited space available.

The bathroom was also in the back of the apt.   It, too, could accommodate all of our 'paraphenalia" and had a spa tub.  When I saw the apt on-line I thought this was terrific~something that would be great for a sore body at the end of the day.   But in reality, I could not justify using the amount of water needed to fill it.

There was a large screen TV with several English speaking stations...mostly news.  Woody was able to watch Ohio State Football on the computer and I listened to the Federer/Djokavic final of the US Open tennis tournament.

The kitchen was laid out quite efficiently.  I loved working in the kitchen (though that was rare ).  We (Woody) used the coffee maker, orange juicer and microwave all the time.  Woody also figured out the cook top and made french toast for breakfast several times.   There was a washer in the kitchen, which we did not use. No dryer though.

                                                   The dining table became the 

                                     computer work station and general "catch-all"

If you stood in one exact spot in the living room, there was a view (glimpse) of the Eiffel Tower.  And, we were able to see it 'twinkle' on the hour.

The neighborhood was wonderful.  The pedestrian market street ~Rue Cler (there will be a blog post highlighting rue Cler)~ was 2 blocks away.  The apt was located between the Eiffel Tower and the Invalides.   These were the tourist areas.  (Rick Steve's loves Rue Cler.)

We had lots of choices of restaurants and each one that we chose was good.

There was access to about 6 bus lines and 2 Metro stops.  

 This is the large intersection at the Ecole Militaire Metro stop.  Lots of restaurants here and it's where most of the bus stops were located.

  At the other end of the street was this little park.  So quiet, relaxing and just beautiful.

This is the Invalides that houses the superb Musee de l'Armee.  We've been here twice.   The Medieval exhibits and World War I & II exhibits are great.

  Just past the Ecole Militaire intersection is the 

Champs du Mars and the Eiffel Tower.

Woody ,on Rue Cler, buying oranges for my fresh squeezed OJ.

Next time we'll take a closer look at Rue Cler.       ~a bientot.

~Paris Planning~2013

In 2 months we will be on our way to Paris for the 5th time. I've been calling it the "Paris Finale" because the decision to go was based on my mobility or lack thereof.
On previous trips the planning stage was almost as exciting as the vacation itself; researching sites, finding new resources, reading travel guides etc, etc. But this time it is different.  After exploring the city 4 previous times, the search becomes more difficult, not because it's hard to do. The reason is that the neighborhoods (arrondissements) have so many interesting 'hidden' places.  The more I read, the more I find.  It becomes overwhelming~to the point of research paralysis.

I've given this a lot of thought and have decided that the frustration and difficulty comes from the issue of this being the last trip. So, I'm changing that idea~it is not the last trip.

I'll never give up being able to go to Paris.

A couple of nights ago I was reading my DK Eyewitness Travel Guide for Paris.   (I love the "Eyewitness Travel Guides", they're very well organized, include great information, photos and detailed maps).  While reading, I found myself thinking, seen that, seen that, been there ~page after page.

I have many, many guide books~Rick Steve's France, Fodor's Paris, Frommer's Paris, Lonely Planet and Michelin Green Guides.  I have books for finding the best walks, the cheapest restaurants, the 10 best sites and things to do.  For this trip, I added several new travel books:

This little book Markets of Paris is a great guide to the city's food markets, antique markets, flea markets and artisan shows.
It is organized by arrondissement, especially good if you are already familiar with the city, and includes great directions, times and dates.

Another great find was Discover Paris by Metro put out by RATP (the public transportation operator in Paris) and the City of Paris.  This book describes each line of the Metro, stop by stop.  It lists sites to see, places to eat, museums to visit at the more prominent stops on each line.


Since I love architecture, I found Five Hundred Buildings of Paris a wonderful resource. The photos are black and white, the buildings are described by arrondissement and each is referenced in the back of the book with detailed information about the building's history.  This would be a great guide to have for siteseeing if it weren't small, thick and heavy.  Nonetheless, it is worth it's weight!

My favorite books though are the  Thirza Vallois'  Around and About Paris series. Each book in the series covers several arrondissements (1-7, 8-12,13-20).

These guides are not for the first time traveller unless you are extremely interested in history.
Arranged chronologically by arrondissement, the author,first, gives a thorough description of the neighborhood with detailed history about the people, places and events associated with the area.  The introduction is followed by interesting walks through the neighborhood with accompanying maps.



And so, I have a renewed enthusiasm for planning.  I've decided on a variety of themes for photographs and exploration ~Art Nouveau architecture, shop windows (my favorite), parks, gardens, squares & courtyards,art, cats, aerial views, Faubourg St. Antoine ~to name a few.  The only guides I will take with me will be the new edition of the Michelin Green Guide and my well-worn Knopf Mapguide of Paris.

Now, I must get back to Paris~planning.     Au revoir.

~It's Official~ Paris in May 2013

We have our airline tickets and have reserved an apartment in Paris for the month of May.  This time we will be staying in the 16th arr. on the rue Gustave Courbet.  It's not far from the Trocodero across the river from the Eiffel Tower.

This will be a new area for us to explore.  The 16th is mostly residential with many Embassies and high-end shops.  There are many museums clustered around the Trocodero.

The Bois de Boulogne and Parc de Bagatelle have been on my list for years, but since it was so far out we never ventured that way.  Now we will be on that side of the city and it is on the top of my list.  We should be there in time to see the Iris Garden in bloom.

I do a lot of research before our trips, always trying to find something new and different to see and do.  While doing my routine search, I came across this interesting site~Guided Photo Tours in Paris.  Having a professional photographer take you on a personal tour with personal instruction sounds perfect to me.  A photo tour of Montmartre would be wonderful.   So, that's on my 'to do' list too.

There are still many museums we haven't seen;  the Architecture Museum (I read that the cafe has a fabulous view of the Eiffel Tower) and the Counterfeit Museum are on the top of the list.  Of course, we will go to the Louvre again.  It's so big that there is always something new to discover.

There 2 areas of Paris that have also been on the list for several years~ Buttes aux Cailles and Canal St-Martin.  Check the link~I have mentioned the Canal St-Martin before.  It runs from the Bastille northeast to the Parc de Villette and is supposed to be a beautiful quiet walk. 

 Located on a hill, Buttes aux Cailles is a lesser known neighborhood in the 13th arr.  It has a village-like atmosphere with winding, narrow cobblestone streets.

As I add to my list, I will share more of the "Paris 5"  itinerary~ a bientot!

Paris4 ~Planning~

Only 55 days until we leave for our 4th visit to Paris. This year's stay will be for 30 days.  We tried to get the same apartment as we had last year (it was so convenient) but, obviously, a lot of other people found out about this very affordable, comfortable apt....it was booked through October.

So the search was on again.  Apartment rentals have become a very competitive business in Paris.  It's not as easy to find "a deal" with particular amenities.  If  location or climbing 6 flights of stairs is not a problem, you can still find very affordable apartments in Paris....but I need an elevator and that narrows the field considerably.

The apartment I chose is on the rue du Bouloi (right around the block from last year's apt.) in the 1er arrondissement.  The rental agency is Rentals in Paris.

When I search for an apartment there are a few "must haves": elevator, washer/dryer, WiFi, proximity to a Metro station, preferably line #1, and room enough to walk completely around the bed.  I added this particular "need" after our first one month stay in an apt in which the bed was wedged against the wall.  Climbing over my husband to get in and out plus the difficulty of making the bed made this requirement a necessity. We also like to be within walking distance of the river.  Evening walks along the Seine are a wonderful way to end the day.

You can see that the apartment is right in the central part of Paris, especially close to the Lourve which we always enjoy and the Ile de la Cite.  It is also near Les Halles and the Marais, another very nice area with lots of sights to see.

 I like the #1 Metro line because it goes completely across the city and connects with most of the other major lines.  The less transfers and walking in metro stations the better.
Our flight is via Air France directly out of Orlando.  This direct service is new this year and makes our journey much easier.

The next stage of planning is deciding how to spend our days.  You would think there would not be much left on the list after 3 relatively long visits; my list of "to see and to do" has actually gotten longer.

In the next posts I will share some of my "must sees" for Paris 4, 2011

~a bientot