I'm home! Home in Paris, that is!
After a very long journey involving three very heavy suitcases, one laptop, one folding cart (it holds 250 lbs although I wasn't toting THAT much), three countries (US to London to Paris), two trains and two taxis, I arrived safe, sound and exhausted in my furnished Paris apartment in the 15th at about 5:30pm local time yesterday. Coming through London was a money-saver but it added about 7 hours of travel time to my trip so I don't think I'll do that again no matter how much I can save on the airfare.
The apartment is small but very nice. I'll take and post some photos after I finish unpacking because right now there are clothes, boxes and suitcases everywhere. It's got an open floor plan in the living room/kitchen, and the kitchen is what I'd call Americanized with a tall refridgerator-freezer (good for trips to Picard!), a full 4-burner stove with oven and stainless range hood, microwave and even a dishwasher. Where's the washer-dryer you ask? In the basement!
The chambre (bedroom) is very small and narrow (the bed takes up most of the space) but has a closet, built-in bookshelves which I will shortly fill up, and a desk for me to work.
In the hall outside the bedroom and off the entryway, there is a very large closet with shelves, drawers and lots of hanging space; with floor space for a vacuum cleaner, some folding chairs and my new (hot pink) grocery cart which I picked up this afternoon along with a hair dryer. The apartment has most of what I need in terms of sheets, towels and kitchenware but I've begun to notice a few things here and there I could use -- like a butter dish and a shower mat (the shower is very new -- the entire apartment was redone in 2005 -- but the floor is very slippery).
The living room comes complete with a sleeper sofa, more bookshelves and lots of open space. No dining table but a long kitchen bar with 4 stools, and a huge coffee table (I tend to like eating in front of the TV when I'm alone anyway). Beautiful wood floors throughout, except for lovely large tile in the kitchen and bath. The shower room has a really cool modern glass/chrome sink that I really like. And also in the basement is a HUGE storage room just for my apartment; great place to stick all the luggage and empty boxes, and anything I can't fit up here but need to keep around, like off-season clothing.
In the immediate neighborhood within a 4-block area in both directions (short Paris blocks, not New York City blocks), I have noticed a good bakery, an Office Depot, several florists, a butcher, fromagerie (cheese shop), dry cleaner, an excellent large supermarket and a smaller discount one -- plus there's a Tang Frères opening up just around the corner which is supposed to have Asian specialty items but also regular staples as well. Very convenient and comfortable to do all the basic needs shopping right nearby! And two metro stops, a street market 3 times weekly, and a good bus line (the 95) right nearby too.
Of course, I'm still coping with a bit of jet lag and sleeping a lot today. Tomorrow I may have an impromptu meeting with a prospective ghostwriting client who is in town from Switzerland, so jet lag or no, I'll be out and about in Paris for sure. Lots of new friends to meet and greet, too, including some of you fellow Paris bloggers (I'll be emailing you shortly to connect/reconnect, especially Pamela, Aimee, Serena, Linda, and Tara).
It's time for real life in Paris to begin! Sing it with me now:
"Heaven... I'm in Heaven... and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak..."
