Monday, September 30, 2013

France Day Nine

What a long day! We left Riquewihr this morning for Strasbourg just as the sun was coming up. Good thing, too, because as we got closer to town, traffic was horrible. The rental car return sign at the airport was nowhere to be found, and poor Nancy drove around and around before we finally spotted a tiny little "retour" sign with an even tinier little automobile sign underneath it. Barely made our flight to Paris, but by 11 a.m., with luggage in hand, we found our driver. We then had to fight the Paris traffic, but eventually we were deposited curbside at our home away from home for the rest of the week. The owners of this apartment live in California, but they have an English-speaking manager who met us and showed us around. The cleaning people were still hard at work, so we dumped our bags and walked to a cafe on the corner for lunch: croque monsiers, an omelet, frites, and a pitcher of wine. Welcome to Paris!

This is the first time we've rented an apartment in Paris. They are expensive and small, and it's hard to find a reasonably priced one that has two bedrooms and two full baths (our criteria). After having lots of space at our house in Riquewihr, this one seemed very little, and it was hot, too. But, we opened up the windows and turned on some fans, and now it seems both larger and cooler! It's actually a sweet little jewel box of an apartment on the Ile Saint Louis, that was built in 1652. Juliette was restored by a movie set designer, with no attention to detail spared.
 Street-side, all you see is a brown door, and if you look up, the window into our living room.
 This is a view straight in through the kitchen and onto the living and dining area.


Here's my room and bath, and I also have a little twin bed under the staircase, in case I want to move around (or in case my daughter wants to fly over).


Nancy and John have the upstairs loft and bath, both very nice!


I think we'll all have a great time...there's lots to see and do, and we are here until Saturday morning. Thanks again for coming along!

18 comments:

  1. Love the apartment, stonework, claw tub, and very French cupboards. Enjoy.

    Diana the Gayle

    ReplyDelete
  2. Coco made a new friend, a toad named "Croaks". He calls her "Grunts a Lot". Sounds like a sitcom to me. Posie prefers only red meat. Will buy more after last package is used up. She is wearing out the door staring at it waiting for Mom to come home. All is well. Balch Springs Willie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the update, Bill. Tell Posie her Mama will be home on Saturday. I've been missing both of the girls.

      Delete
  3. Hello Vickie, I enjoy your pictures. Please give my best regards to Nancy! And happy holidays! Elisabeth from Austria!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, Elizabeth! Nancy and I were just talking about you the other day! I will tell her you said hello. We hope to come back to Vienna next year for the Christmas markets again, and we will look forward to seeing you then!

      Delete
  4. Not a room my 6' 3" husband could stand up in, but it looks tres charmant!

    Sandy McKenna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely not for your husband! Nancy's has to stoop over when he is upstairs, and he's not nearly that tall!

      Delete
  5. What a sweet apartment! It looks very "Paris". Have a wonderful week and have one of those melty Nutella and banana Panini thingies for me.
    Pam

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love the little apartment - I could be very happy there! And of course, in Paris. :)

    I am so jealous of your trip, but then in 10 days I'm off to Ireland, so can't be too jealous.

    WRPat

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Pat! Thanks! I'm jealous of your Ireland trip!!! Can't wait to see your photos!

      Delete
  7. I would stay here and never come back...of course, someone would have to FedEx Riley to me!!! Perfection...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You would love it here! We are going to plan a Paris trip!!!

      Delete
  8. The apartment looks great!!! I wish I could come relax on that beautiful bed under the stairs, after all the moving and unpacking and furniture shopping I feel like the broken doll laying on the chair in the next post! Love you mama, as always your picts look stellar!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, KB! We are having a great time! The apartment is nice, but on a very noisy street. I prefer the sixth arrondisement, but it is nice to have an entire apartment instead of a hotel room!

      Delete
  9. Hi,
    I’m very interested your little apartment rental and this is a beautiful apartment rental in Paris, really like your site. Please keep sharing more and more information................


    Paris apartment

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, Michael. Thanks for following along! The apartment may be found at http://www.vrbo.com/218078.

      Delete