Paris Je t'adore

At last we are in Paris, in a fourth floor apartment with a view into a courtyard from the main bedroom and a view over the Boulevard General LeClerc from the living and dining rooms. The apartment was well equiped with a dishwasher and washing machine, as well as cable TV. We were in a secure block, although we did not get the right security number to get into the building. We "borrowed" someone else's. The entrance to our building was masked somewhat with a luggage seller, who had suitcases and handbags, belts and hats set up for sale to the passing trade. Another thing we liked about where we were in Paris, was that there were few tourists, mostly workers and students.

Living room at night.
The apartment is on the Boulevard General Le Clerc which (after 3 or 4 kilometers) turns into the Boulevard Saint Michel (my favourite street in Paris) and the centre of Paris. Across the road is a chinese/asian restaurant and on every corner that we can see there is a cafe. Looking to the right about one minute's walk away is the metro station, looking to the left about one minute's walk away is another metro station, both on the same line. Less than 50 meters from the front door was the local woollies, or Monoprix where we could get the stuff not in the Market. Like travellers washing liquid.

Then there was the market - Rue Daguerre, a whole street dedicated to fresh fruit and veg, stall holders calling out their wares, housewives and workers rushing along. One thing that I did that I had not thought we would do is buy cherries in July, when I know that I buy them in December. I asked for 300 grams in my best French of the indian stall worker, who did not speak French either and took home 1kg of very yummy cherries - we had no trouble getting through them!

There was handmade pasta, a cheese shop, bread shop and wine shop, along with Cafes and

stores not selling food, such as the
second hand bookshop that was piled to the roof with books and it was difficult to see how you could get into the shop, let alone buy anything.


The photo of the street sign is my favourite here as it has both our street name and the market street name on it. We were sure that we were in heaven.

After we had put our things away and explored the apartment, we went for a walk. Had a late lunch in a cafe on the corner, then walked through the market and bought fresh hand made pasta, hand made pesto and fresh cheese and walked "home" to cook it up for tea, accompanied by a bottle of red. Here is the view from our bedroom window into the courtyard.