I bought this book decades ago and never imagined that one day we would rent our own Paris apartment.
Too bad the dress form in the master bedroom wasn't wearing a period costume.
When we began traveling with our adult children, we opted to rent houses rather than hotel rooms - it is more economical than multiple hotel rooms and we love the convenience of having the space to spread out.
Once we booked our flight to Paris, our daughter-in-law took on the task of finding a place for us to stay for 10 days.
Aylin sent us a list of 6 apartments on VRBO to choose from in various areas around the city and we unanimously agreed on one choice due to the location, appearance and amenities.
I was so excited when we turned down our street
and I spotted the doors - a good omen for someone who lives in a house with a red door.
Once inside the vestibule, we looked out French doors to a courtyard
and another set of doors led us to the stairway.
After a 12 hour plane ride, a 1 hour taxi ride and a 50 pound suitcase, the stairs to the third floor were a challenge.
By day 10, the stairs were a breeze and I never tired of the view out the windows on the landing- I'll admit that I did not carry my now 55 pound suitcase down the stairs.
Gray doors led us into our apartment
Surprisingly, we walked right into the dining room, but I imagine that it was not the dining room in the 1600's when the building was new.
We knew, from the pics on the VRBO website, that our apartment was filled with art and cultural items.
The apartment had a huge living room
filled with art,
amazing windows,
and a fabulous chandelier.
What I loved most were the floors and the detailed moldings around the ceilings of each room.
We did not cook any meals in the kitchen,
but every morning Steve rose earlier than the rest of us, headed out to different pastry shops and always brought back an array of treats.
Heading out of the living room, there was a hallway and on the left there were two small alcoves (one with a day bed another with a spiral staircase) that had been made from one larger room - none of the pics of those rooms turned out. I never climbed the steep spiral staircase to the room Joshua and Aylin used.
At the end of the hallway there were 3 doors with royal blue glass- the door on the right was the shower, the door ahead held a sink and toilet
and the door on the left held a tub.
This lovely pattern was found on everything (including the toilet) in each room - how I would love to have that sweet pattern in our bathroom.
The master bedroom was filled with curiosities
and I never tired of looking at the little treasures.
The mirrors and the chandeliers throughout the house were spectacular.
As lovely as our apartment was, we spent little time there
because in addition to our various excursions, we walked over 50 miles exploring Paris.
Be forewarned, the next few posts you read will be a visual journal of Paris, Versailles and Giverny.
I'll take you to the Saint Jean de Luz in the Basque region of southern France and a quick pop into Hondarribia, Spain.
Thanks for indulging me - I tried journaling, but my penmanship is abysmal these days due to arthritis so my blog posts will be my French journal.
