Yup, Back in Paris! - Wednesday, 3 November

Horrors! I almost broke my "to Paris at least once a year" rule - the last time I was here was 51 weeks ago. Whew. Would sure hate to break a perfect record.

The apartment I rented is in the 2nd Arrondissement, just a few blocks from where I stayed last year and 2 blocks from rue Montorgueil, one of my favorite food shopping streets. My street, rue Saint-Denis, seems to specialize in ... um, well ... adult entertainment (and I don't mean bookclubs!) but I feel perfectly safe. I punch in my digi-code, and open a giant wooden door to enter a lovely courtyard featuring big rounded paving stones that are a bit hard for me to navigate, so I'm glad that I brought my cane along - it makes walking a lot safer (here and elsewhere in town).

entering the apartment



detail of the entry floor tiles

You can see a bunch of photos of my very comfortable and roomy and inventively decorated studio apartment on this website: http://parisaddress.com/paris-apartment-rental/apartment/STDE183.html   But let me add a few of my own! The building's elevator runs up the middle of an almost circular staircase.  I enter my apartment through big curved burgundy-colored double doors. 

The entry hall has large slate-colored tiles, but some of the tiles are set in a diamond shape and framed by smaller tiles of the same color interspersed with narrow sparkly red glass tiles - just lovely!
 
As in many French apartments, the toilet room is separate from the bathroom and is very small. Mine is way cute, with a half-wall covered in 1-inch red square tiles. Instead of a sink in the toilet room, there is a little porcelain "garden fountain" in the hallway - too cute! And even little alcoves are used to display something fun to look at. So stylish.




the toilet room



cute alcove

hand-washing fountain!

view from kitchen window

view from bedroom window

The bed is very comfortable, the appliances work just fine, the kitchen is roomy and well-equipped, there is plenty of hot water for the shower, the views from the windows are pleasing - couldn't ask for much more!



Stay tuned for more news. A post about my wonderful dinner at "Spring," one of the hottest new restaurants in town, is coming soon!