We arrived! Our journey from Boston to CDG was uneventful, and the taxi ride from the airport to our apartment was perhaps the fastest I have experienced (it was a Sunday morning I guess). It’s a bit hard to characterize exactly what neighbourhood we are in. We are in the 12th arr. near Bastille, a short walk to marche d’Aligre, right near the Ledru-Rollin metro. Maaaaybe the edge of Canal St. Martin? Feels more like Bastille to me. I already love the area. It is full of real people.
Our apartment on Avenue Ledru Rollin
We are on the 4th floor (U.S. 5th floor)
The bas reliefs in the entrance way of our apartment building are really beautiful.
his is ete (summer).
Hiver (Winter)
Printemps (Spring)
Automn (Autumn)
To my pleasant surprise, the apartment has a lift. Not having to trudge up five flights of stairs (the ceilings of each floor are very high too) will save me a lot of energy. The lift is very small and without ventilation. I sure as hell would not like to be stuck in it.
Myself and those two bags are the maximum it can hold. Just Scott and myself is pushing it too. (Photo credit: Scott McKay)
The apartment was larger than expected. It is so great to have a welcoming and comfortable place to have as home base for the next fortnight.
Home for the next 2 weeks!
View down from our apartment down to the street. It is very important to have a cafe at every possible corner.
Keeping in line with the building’s shape
Our breakfast balcony
This is a teeny-tiny “bedroom” in the apartment. Probably where you send your child into banishment. Yes, even being 5’1″ with a negative ape index, my arm-span is wider than the “room” (Photo credit: Scott McKay)
We managed to get to the marche d’Aligre before it closed early on a Sunday. The market is just a 5 to 10 minute walk from us, meaning we have access to ridiculously good boulangeries, pâtisseries, fromageries, produce and vegetable stands, fish, and meat. It is, conveniently, somewhat on the way to the Accor Arena where the climbing competition will be held.
After a much needed break in the apartment, we headed to the place de la Bastille. It looks like a pretty happening neighborhood which we will explore more later.
Colonne de Juillet, place de la Bastille
We took another slight detour to walk through the place des Voges.
place des Voges
The topiary in the place des Voges is pretty cool
One wonderful thing in Paris is the unexpected courtyards hidden behind closed doors. At first I thought the facade of this gallery was some kind of industrial looking store-front, but upon walking in, we discovered this cool space.
A totally unexpected art gallery in an industrial courtyard. Here I am looking quite disheveled and tired. (Photo credit: Scott McKay)
All the walking took a toll on my back and left leg, so I was very happy to eat at the well-regarded bistro our apartment sits above. The bistro surprised us with their incredibly interesting, well-made and well-presented food.
A lovely close to not even a first full day.
Sunset from our apartment. Notice the cool mammatus clouds, which I rarely see (at least in the U.S.)
Ong Strong 