Hi jj,

For metro directions see www.ratp.fr/

((I))

Nice report & super photos, thanks for sharing your trip with us!

Thanks for all of the responses! I'm glad everyone liked the pictures and I'm also "glad" that in someone's opinion we really did miss Montmartre...it's something to look forward to getting right next time, right? :)

I'm going to try and answer some of the specific questions...

aussiedreamer: Hmmm...this must be a language quirk. We had some great gyros in the Latin Quarter -- greek sandwhiches with lamb meat fresh from the cooking spit with cucumber/yogurt sauce and french fries -- all wrapped in a fresh pita. I've been to Greece and these were still at the top of the list! There were multiple stands/small restaurants that served Greek food in this area, so I don't think you could go wrong if you were looking for a quick lunch!

Josey -- We found our apartment on www.vrbo.com -- the actual apartment number is listed in my original post. Karen P. is the owner and always accessible by email. We were very pleased!

Nikki -- I highly suggest dinner at Jim's. We felt somewhat shy/silly when we first arrived but we tried to throw ourselves into the adventure of it and met some very nice people. I would say that about 3/4 of the people I spoke with were first timers. There were also some of Jim's friends there and it seemed that their purpose was to make everyone feel welcome -- I really didn't see any "cliques" whatsoever. We met people from all over the world -- some from the U.S., London, Ireland, Russia, France, etc. We met quite a number of people that had just heard about dinner that day or the day before, so there were just as many bewildered people as there were seasoned veterans! The food was ready pretty much from the time people started arriving and nothing brings people together more than food, so there wasn't much awkward time, if any. In the end, we were glad that we had done it and proud that we had stepped out of our comfort zone. I highly recommend it!

Charlieg -- I'm glad you liked the pictures! I've put them in an album now and have taken the liberty to zoom, crop and change some shots to black & white and sepia tone -- they look great! Our camera is about 2 1/2 years old and it's an Olympus "Stylus 3000" digital. It has 3.2 megapixel and a 3x optical zoom. We really like it -- it's small and has an all-weather shell. We always receive compliments on our vacation pictures! And we use Sam's Club for prints, which is worth the price of the membership!

JameJamerz -- Ira was nice enough to post the metro schedule...from memory I'd guess a 15-20 minute trip...much shorter than the walk would have been!

If anyone else has questions, keep them coming while it's fresh in my mind:)

topping

Thanks tesaniedi, sounds like what we call a Greek Kebab here in Aus.

Thanks so much for the detailed trip report. Loved your pictures; you're so cute together!

My husband and I were also thinking about renting this apartment. May I ask if it was easy to send payments? Also, if you can, I'd love more descriptions of the interior of the apt if you have a chance to reply.

Either way, thanks again for the report!

Hi Peg! We really enjoyed this apartment -- in fact, I owe Karen a positive word or two on VRBO.

We did have to open a paypal account to send the funds, but it was fairly simple and we didn't have any issues with it at all. It was so nice to have our lodging paid in advance! We also sent a check for a security deposit that was destroyed after we left. When we arrived to the apartment we used the door code given to us and the key was left in the designated spot. Karen was always available via email or phone if we had any questions.

The apartment was really nice -- I'd choose it over a hotel room any day. Right when you walk in the door (up a short flight of spiral stairs) there is the galley-style kitchen on your left. Sink, w/d (didn't use), cabinets with some food & tea, microwave (didn't use), etc. There is also a large closet on your right w/ iron, etc.

The main room is large and we undid the futon-style bed right away and left it like that the whole week with plenty of room for suitcases & walking around. The bed was VERY confortable -- very thick mattress, so don't think "pull out sofa". There is a also a bar in the main area with 2 mini-fridges and dishes. There is a laptop, which we used for email, and a tv & dvd player, which we never did figure out, but we survived:) The bathroom is very roomy -- bigger than any hotel bathroom. There is also storage in the bathroom and the main room for clothes. The windows opened and the street was very quiet during the day. There was some street noise at night, but not enough to keep us from sleeping after a long day! You can hear the clock at the Senate chiming throughout the day and it's a two minute walk to the Luxembourg Gardens.

Other details...wood floors, tile in the bathroom...didn't hear or see neighbors at all...fun books & magazines to browse. The pictures on VRBO's website are very accurate.

I would definitely stay here again!

hey there
i loved reading this travel report-- i'm going to copy it-- i am looking for an apt.( or hotel) in that area - so , i shall go to your 'home away from home' and look at it-- can't wait to go to the Jim Haynes website-- what a hoot!! thanks for an esy read

Thanks Tesaniedi! I've sent an email via VBRO but haven't heard back yet! We're not going to be there until next fall (for our anniversary) so hopefully they won't wonder why we're inquiring so far ahead. I'm a planning fiend, though, and it sounds like you can understand that! ;-)

I'm getting really excited both about the apt and the trip, though. Nice to have something to dream about through the dreary winter months!

One way you can see the best of Montmartre is to take the Paris Walks tour of Montmartre -- it is very good the guides are fun and informative, and you WILL see much more of "the village." It wasn't until our third trip to Paris that we decided to take a Paris Walks tour -- and then we ended up taking three of them! (And I thought Montmartre was the best).

ttt

ttt

Saving for later.

tesaniedi...I thoroughly enjoyed your report. And the pictures were a great added bonus. My trip is a month away so the pictures helped "take me back" until I can actually get there. Thanks again!