September 5-7
Home sweet home! That was the feeling I think we both had upon entering our apartment in the Latin Quarter. After two weeks on the road, stopping every few days in a new city, we were thrilled to unpack our stuff, put the bags in a closet and settle down for a little while. We learned a lot in our first few weeks. First, never underestimate the power of clean clothes. We started this journey on August 23rd and only managed to get laundry done once, in Salzburg. That was very early on in the trip but it had to be done because it was crazy hot those first few days. So as we got closer and closer to Paris, we were both dreaming about laundry detergent like it was chocolate.
When we arrived in Paris, we had a few issues getting our metro tickets so we finally broke down and took a taxi. It was only about a 20 minute ride, but it was well worth it to finally get dropped off on the street where we now live. The apartment is just perfect. More than perfect. We love it. It is in the heart of the Latin Quarter (that's Latin like the dead language, not like Latino Jennifer Lopez) but on a quiet little side street called Rue de la Parcheminerie. We live upstairs on the fourth floor of a building from the 17th century. The first floor of the building is occupied by the Abbey Bookstore, a used book store owned by a Canadian couple. We have met the husband, Brian, many times now. He always invites us to sit down for coffee but we are usually on our way somewhere. We will definitely take him up on it soon though as I want to hear about how he ended up owning a bookstore in Paris.
The view out our fourth floor window. I like to sit here with coffee or wine and just watch the world.
The owner of our apartment, Bernard is also extremely nice and helpful. When we arrived at the apartment, he was waiting inside for us with a list of helpful information about the apartment. He just finished restoring it last year and the detail he put into it is impressive. We were very glad for the tutorial as the appliances are all new and fairly high tech. The best part of the show was when he showed us how to use the combination washer/dryer. I could have cried. He also told us important quirky things. For example, if we leave the windows open when we are not home, pigeons will come into the apartment and roost. Trust me, we have been shutting the windows tight when we leave!
The hanging bed. One would think it would feel unsteady but its actually quite sturdy. No comments from the peanut gallery please!
The dining area and couch. Note the open window!
Our fabulous little kitchen where we cook up the yummy things we get at the street markets.
So once Bernard finished showing us everything, it was time to shop! We had decided long ago that the apartment was going to be a real home base for us in Paris and we would make it a point to really try to "live" here. So it was off to the grocery store. First, let me point out what should have been obvious. Just like in the States, Monday night at dinner time is the worst time to go the grocery store. The place was mobbed. Every commuter who had just gotten off work was in there. Regardless, it was pretty fun. Shaun's fun started on the way in. This is France so you have to go through the massive wine section before you get to the groceries. It was like a tractor beam pulling Shaun along. And then we saw the signs. Apparently in two days the "festival of wine" was starting. It takes place all over France and involves fabulous discounts. Since we are all about discounts, I was able to pry him away with the promise that we could buy more when the big sale started. Bernard had left us a bottle as a housewarming gift ("You had me at Bordeaux!") so we were set for dinner.
The apartment came with more than we expected actually. There was the usual salt/pepper and some sugar, but there was also coffee, tea, olive oil, herbs de provence, a bottle of water, two small beers and the aforementioned wine. That was a good base. At the grocery store we purchased eggs, ham, bread and butter for breakfast. (Bernard had told us their bread was actually very good). We picked up two small steaks, some rice and salad fixins for dinner. We got cheese and yogurt, mainly because the dairy section here is outrageous. These people must have a yogurt addiction- it was the biggest aisle in the place! We attempted to get something like half and half, but my french was getting us nowhere. Turns out that's because they don't have it here! We ended up with milk instead.
Next we grabbed a small package of pork chops for Tuesday night and were still shopping when we had to stop ourselves. We were shopping like we do at home where you try to buy everything in one place, all at once. The goal was to do exactly the opposite. We would get all of our basics this week and then shop like the locals, stopping at the local market to pick up what is fresh and looks good that particular day.
So we took our bags home and cooked dinner. I would love to say that the first dinner that night was "fantastique" but actually it was pretty mediocre. I had some trouble with the stove that translated to starchy rice, and the bottled vinaigrette we chose wasn't great, but the wine was lovely, and the company was fantastic. While we made dinner we did laundry. It took forever to run in the combo washer/dryer, but we didn't care. We would smell no more!! We were so exhausted from our day that we climbed into our clean PJ's, curled up onto our cool hanging bed and fell fast asleep.
Tuesday and Wednesday were all about settling in and exploring the neighborhood. We would get up and make coffee and talk about what we wanted to do. One of us would make breakfast, usually some kind of eggs with toasted bread and ham, maybe a side of fruit. (My husband is an excellent breakfast-maker, one of his lesser known skills!) Once breakfast was over we would go explore. On Tuesday we found our local market, Maubert, which had wonderful vegetable stands and a Poissonnerie (fish monger) Boucherie (butcher) Fromagerie (Cheese market) Charcuterie (Cured meats and prepared foods). On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday those shops were supplemented by vendors selling fruits, vegetables, honeys and anything else you could imagine. It was Tuesday so we were in luck. And of course, they had wine! So Shaun was as happy as I was!
Breakfast is served, courtesy of my husband
We also explored Rue Mouffetard on Tuesday. It's one of the permanent market streets where the vendors are open every day. It is a long, winding cobblestone street of stores and vendors where you could buy pretty much anything you could hope to eat. I am so taken with the Poissonneries! It drove me crazy at home I lived in New England and had to either buy my fish at the grocery store or drive a half hour to an actual fish shop. There are probably 5 Poissonneries within walking distance of our apartment.
Random pictures from the neighborhood in case you are bored with the food talk. This is the little statue outside the Saint Michel Metro stop. Yeah, just some junky subway art.
And this is St Severin, the church one street over. Building started sometime in the 11th century.
After exploring both the Maubert and Mouffetard markets, we were starving so we bought a small roast chicken for 5 euro and took it back to the apartment. We had leftover salad fixins from the night before so lunch was done!
That afternoon, Shaun and I split up to do what we love best. Shaun went for a work out and I went specialty food shopping! Hmmm... you may be saying...what does she mean by specialty food shopping? Well, just like the yogurt section of the supermarket is a half mile long, and there are fish mongers everywhere, the French have certain very important purveyors of the foods they think are important. So for example, there is La Maison de la Truffe. Yup, a store that just sells truffles. Since we just came from Switzerland, I could hardly afford a truffle, but that wasn't what I was looking for anyway. I was on the hunt for mustard and jam!!
No, I wasn't making some kind of disgusting new sandwich, I was on my way to buy two of my favorite products, Maille Mustard and Hediard Jam. It's ironic really, because I had an old boyfriend who used to say I was "condimentally challenged". I used to like everything either plain or on the side, like Meg Ryan in "When Harry met Sally". Mustard I thought was especially disgusting. And don't think I'm being all high and mighty just because its normally served on hot dogs and bologna. I LOVE hot dogs and Bologna!! I never buy either because they are filled with crap, but my dad always makes sure he and my mom have bologna in the fridge when I come visit because he knows I will sneak in there and roll up a few slices to eat for a snack. So truly, I just always thought mustard was awful. Then I tried Maille. I can eat this stuff by the spoonful! And it is even better here! It's way spicer and more flavorful than any I've had in the States. And the way you order it at the shop is great. You pick your flavor (dry white wine for me thanks) and your size (petite s'il vous plait) and they pull it FROM THE TAP into your little earthenware crock. I have died and gone to condiment heaven.
A "floor picnic" we had one night. Note the Maille Mustard. Yummy.
Hediard was a bit of a letdown after the mustard tap at Maille, but the Jam was worth it. I picked up two little 4 ounce containers, Wild Strawberry for breakfast and Spiced Figs to have with cheese. The store is quite fancy and formal so I was glad I was wearing my newly washed clothes! Next stop for me was a cooking supply store. I didn't need anything fancy that day so I decided save Dehillerin (the mecca of cookware) for another day. I hit up Mora and A Simon for a few cheap little things- wine glasses, a vegetable peeler, two steak knives. We will be leaving them behind when we go I was careful to be frugal.
That night Shaun and I had the pork chops for dinner. I made a fried rice from yesterdays leftovers and brussels sprouts with butter and some of the Maille mustard. We went wandering down the Seine after dinner, taking in the neighborhood. Its pretty amazing to have one of the worlds most famous churches within a five minute walk of your apartment. So often on this trip I have been washed over with a feeling of gratitude so intense that it brings tears to my eyes. This was one of those nights. We took some beautiful pictures as we walked. The sky was turning a lovely pink/purple color and the temperature was just perfect, cool and breezy. Shaun took one of his favorite shots where he holds the camera out and tries to get a good picture of both of us. It may be my favorite shot of the trip so far.
Love. Enough Said.
The next morning, we walked up to the Luxembourg gardens together to get in a workout. We had tried that the afternoon before, but I brought my camera so my normal walk-run-walk, became a walk-run-stop-take pictures-walk. This time I brought nothing except my Ipod and apartment keys. I hadn't listened to my Ipod at all on the trip, there was just no need. So to have it on as I ran through one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen was completely surreal. I loved running in my younger days but haven't felt the same way in years. That day though, I could have run forever. George Straight was singing in my ear:
Baby, Run, Set a path across the blue sky
Straight in a straight line you can't get here fast enough
Find a truck and fire it up
Lean on the gas and off the clutch, oh baby run
I ran as my crazy running mix played on; Bonnie Raitt and Fergie, G Love and Bob Dylan, Mary J Blige and Jeff Buckley. For me its not about tempo or lyrics, its about songs that take me to another place. Bonnie Raitt singing about an Angel from Montgomery and Jeff Buckley singing about the Last Goodbye take me to those places. And so I ran. It was a brilliant morning.
How can you not be happy going to work out in this place? Of course, Shaun was later chastised for hanging from a tree. Hee hee.
I pass this on my run. Seriously.
I love the way they trim the trees into squares.
And the beauty of all this is that all the sightseeing we have done so far has been free. There is no charge for walks along the Seine or running in Luxembourg Gardens or sitting on a bench in front of Notre Dame Cathedral at night. We have friends and family coming to visit at different times and when we have our visitors we will go to the museums and eat at the restaurants and climb the Arche de Triomphe. But for now we are just loving this city from the cheap seats.
The view from the cheap seats. Notre Dame on a beautiful September evening.
I would love to write more, but I have a lovely bolognese sauce (no relation to bologna!) simmering away on the stove, a bottle of red wine open on the table and Shaun just ran out to get some fresh bread. Life, I must say, is very good indeed.
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