I have spent time in this neighborhood ("quartier") of the 2nd arrondissement in the past, and I’ve even used hotels and apartments in this and adjacent neighborhoods before, but I’m getting the chance to explore it a bit more widely and I just love it! I’m in a 17th century apartment on rue Marie Stuart, a narrow pedestrian cobblestone street running perpendicular to two other narrow cobblestone pedestrian streets, one of which is rue Montorgueil, one of the great food streets of Paris (three blocks of bakery next to wine shop next to vegetable stand next to fish/seafood market next to butcher next to florist next to cheesemonger next to olive oil purveyor next to foie gras and preserved food vendor next to chocolatier next to café next to supermarket – you get the picture!). Pâtisserie Stohrer, a spectacular bakery established in 1730, is just a few steps from my front door, and Eric Kayser, winner of “best baguette” in Paris a few years ago (a title that carries with it the honor/responsibility of supplying the Elysée Palace with baguettes for the year), has a bakery at the other end of rue Montorgueil. E. Dehillerin, my favorite cookware shop, is just a few blocks away and A. Simon, a great porcelain shop, is even closer. And the giant Les Halles underground shopping mall (one of the largest in the world) is just a couple blocks away, as is the Pompidou museum. Other small shops and services (laundry, hair, nails, shoe repair, etc. etc. etc.) abound in the neighborhood. I could get used to this kind of living!
My apartment is very comfortable – one of the nicest I’ve used over the past several years. Here’s a photo from the apartment broker’s website.
It’s a one-bedroom with three comfy leather chairs and a leather sofa in the living room, exposed original 17th century beams in the ceiling, a very serviceable and open kitchen, an extremely comfortable bed, rough plaster walls sporting some decent original art, well-designed compact table & chairs, appliances that all seem to be working, an easy-to-use wifi connection, a nice plasma TV with BBC and other French and international channels. The only problem is the slightly treacherous tub/shower – I might just end up washing my hair in the sink and taking sponge baths!
I’ll attach photos after I buy a camera! Yup, that’s the other thing I’m missing. I couldn’t find my camera when I was packing to leave home, but hey – there’s a giant “fnac” electronics store in the Les Halles shopping mall, and they have an enormous selection. Another little adventure for me! I was actually planning to head over to Les Halles this afternoon/evening, but with too little horizontal time (a busy Sunday and then a day of travel and then some hoofing around the neighborhood today), my left ankle was swollen to ginormous proportions. But the good news is that I wasn’t able to take a photo of it to post on the blog!
More news and snapshots to come.....
It’s a one-bedroom with three comfy leather chairs and a leather sofa in the living room, exposed original 17th century beams in the ceiling, a very serviceable and open kitchen, an extremely comfortable bed, rough plaster walls sporting some decent original art, well-designed compact table & chairs, appliances that all seem to be working, an easy-to-use wifi connection, a nice plasma TV with BBC and other French and international channels. The only problem is the slightly treacherous tub/shower – I might just end up washing my hair in the sink and taking sponge baths!
1 comment:
Cheers Mariellen! Sounds like a WONDERFUL place for a vacation adventure!
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