Thank you for Paris help.
May 12th, 2008 | 07:50 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 477
Likes: 0
Thank you for Paris help.
Hello, all.
Just got back from our month in Paris last Friday, and wanted to thank all of you who provided helpful information prior to and during our trip. It was everything we hoped for.
I was going to attempt a trip report before it all slipped from memory, but this forum appears to be loaded with Paris trip reports by more talented writers than me, so anything I have to say would be superfluous.
Again, thanks for all your help.
Just got back from our month in Paris last Friday, and wanted to thank all of you who provided helpful information prior to and during our trip. It was everything we hoped for.
I was going to attempt a trip report before it all slipped from memory, but this forum appears to be loaded with Paris trip reports by more talented writers than me, so anything I have to say would be superfluous.
Again, thanks for all your help.
May 12th, 2008 | 08:50 PM
#2
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,037
Likes: 0
A month in Paris is a dream come true, I'm glad you enjoyed your trip.
I saw in another post that you stayed near the Square de Temple on rue de Bretagne. I'd love to hear your impressions of the neighbourhood, and how you found day-to-day life as a resident.
(I recently got back from a short stay in Paris in the Republique/Oberkampf area, on rue JP Timbaud, not too far from where you stayed)
I saw in another post that you stayed near the Square de Temple on rue de Bretagne. I'd love to hear your impressions of the neighbourhood, and how you found day-to-day life as a resident.
(I recently got back from a short stay in Paris in the Republique/Oberkampf area, on rue JP Timbaud, not too far from where you stayed)
May 13th, 2008 | 05:06 AM
#3
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Hi Les,
>I was going to attempt a trip report....anything I have to say would be superfluous.
No way, buster. You aren;t going to weasel out of your responsibility.
Trip reports are mandatory.
If you don;t write one, you will no longer receive any help, ever again.
Also, the Fodor's computer will send a signal to your computer that will fry your mother board.
You have 6 days.
There are no superfluous trip reports. We all learn something from everyone else.
>I was going to attempt a trip report....anything I have to say would be superfluous.
No way, buster. You aren;t going to weasel out of your responsibility.
Trip reports are mandatory.
If you don;t write one, you will no longer receive any help, ever again.
Also, the Fodor's computer will send a signal to your computer that will fry your mother board.
You have 6 days.
There are no superfluous trip reports. We all learn something from everyone else.
May 13th, 2008 | 12:29 PM
#5
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 477
Likes: 0
Okay, my wife has graciously agreed to address the questions re. the apartment and neighborhood later today (she is a much better writer than I am, and more importantly, she actually has a memory).
Ira, my wife says that she doesn't care if my motherboard gets fried! But since I do, I'll attempt to put a trip report together in the next few days. It probably won't be as stylish as some already posted, but it'll be opinionated. More I can't promise.
Ira, my wife says that she doesn't care if my motherboard gets fried! But since I do, I'll attempt to put a trip report together in the next few days. It probably won't be as stylish as some already posted, but it'll be opinionated. More I can't promise.
May 14th, 2008 | 11:17 AM
#6
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 477
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OK, as promised, here's Cathy's report on the apartment and neighborhood (unedited, except I added websites for the apartment at the end). I don't know what the size limit for a posting is, but if it's rejected, I split it into several posts. Enjoy.
About our month on rue de Bretagne....
I don't think there was one day that, on leaving our apartment, I didn't gush, "I just love this neighborhood!" We were across the street from the Square du Temple, a lovely little park well-used by local families all day long. There's a small pond, flowering trees, lots of tulips, and a poignant memorial tablet listing the names of the preschoolers taken by the Nazis. It was a beautiful green spot to sit and read, to watch children play and the elderly visit.
Rue de Bretagne itself had all the little shops you could need--wine, cheese, bread, pastry, flowers, chocolate, coffee and tea, meat, Chinese take-out, as well as the permanent outdoor market of Marche des Enfants Rouge. There's an all-purpose Monoprix 2 blocks away. Most of the small shops were open on Sunday, closed on Monday, which was convenient. There were at least a half-dozen cafes on the street, including Chez Omar, which is mentioned in all the guide books as a very "in" place to be seen and to have couscous. (We did, and frankly, are still confused by the recommendations.)
The real joy of the neighborhood, however--at least for me--is the history of it all. Square du Temple is so named because it was the site of the Knights Templars' Grand Priory Palace, dating from the 12th century. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were imprisoned there for a time. We would come across historical markers like that all the time. There is a warren of streets south of Bretagne, still narrow and crooked, lined with walled mansions from the 15th century onward. Many have been turned into museums--Carnavalet, Picasso, Judaism, Hunting and Nature--so you can go inside and marvel at the architecture as well as the exhibits. Rue des Rosiers is a few blocks away, a Jewish quarter dating from the Middle Ages. We walked and gawked at all hours of the day and night, were never afraid or uneasy, never accosted for anything other than directions, and were continually delighted in our discoveries. By the last week, we thought we'd seen all the unusual sights in our area, only to stumble upon the oldest house in Paris, that of the alchemist Nicholas Flamel--1407--and another rare half-timbered house just around the corner from our apartment. We so often came upon wonderful sights --monuments, covered passages, an ancient plague hospital, a tiny square--on what turned out to be serendipity walks in our neighborhood.
The northern Marais area was perfect for us. Our idea of sightseeing in a city has always been to walk it, and this location was great for that. In 15 minutes, we could be on a bridge over the Seine watching the sunset, or at Place des Vosges for lunch. The fine Arts and Metiers Museum, housed in a grand old church and abbey, was just down the street, and the bustling rue Montorgueil , Les Halles, the Beaubourg, were all easy walks. We often went to the Latin Quarter, the Louvre, the Luxembourg Gardens --walks of varying distances, but doable. (To be honest, I must confess here that only my husband truly walked these distances. He can walk miles, and I can walk feet, so we took along a wheelchair for me. Les walked all those distances pushing his not-sylphlike wife throughout Paris, God bless him.)
The apartment itself was comfortable for 2 people. Though it says it can accomodate 4 to 5, which it could sleep, you would have to be VERY good friends , we thought, to make that work. The kitchen was complete, but not large enough for 2 people to work in. There was a sweet little terrace off the bedroom, lovely for a late-night glass of wine, or an afternoon read, if you could convince the pigeons it was your turn. We were on the fifth floor, but there was a small elevator which was always reliable. The apartment also faced onto a courtyard, not the street, and was very quiet. One neighbor played the clarinet--quite nicely, and only at reasonable hours--and everyone was pleasant. It is an old building that has been updated--not everything is spiffy and new--the ceiling paint is cracking in places, etc.--and it gets lots of direct sunlight which was not an issue in April-May, but could be in July. There is an AC unit in the living/dining room.
It's difficult to condense a month of experiences into a few paragraphs, but our time in Paris was exactly what we were hoping for.
Here are the web sites:
www.vrbo.com/117968
http://www.chemouni.com/bretagne/
Hopefully, I'll get to the trip report soon.
About our month on rue de Bretagne....
I don't think there was one day that, on leaving our apartment, I didn't gush, "I just love this neighborhood!" We were across the street from the Square du Temple, a lovely little park well-used by local families all day long. There's a small pond, flowering trees, lots of tulips, and a poignant memorial tablet listing the names of the preschoolers taken by the Nazis. It was a beautiful green spot to sit and read, to watch children play and the elderly visit.
Rue de Bretagne itself had all the little shops you could need--wine, cheese, bread, pastry, flowers, chocolate, coffee and tea, meat, Chinese take-out, as well as the permanent outdoor market of Marche des Enfants Rouge. There's an all-purpose Monoprix 2 blocks away. Most of the small shops were open on Sunday, closed on Monday, which was convenient. There were at least a half-dozen cafes on the street, including Chez Omar, which is mentioned in all the guide books as a very "in" place to be seen and to have couscous. (We did, and frankly, are still confused by the recommendations.)
The real joy of the neighborhood, however--at least for me--is the history of it all. Square du Temple is so named because it was the site of the Knights Templars' Grand Priory Palace, dating from the 12th century. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were imprisoned there for a time. We would come across historical markers like that all the time. There is a warren of streets south of Bretagne, still narrow and crooked, lined with walled mansions from the 15th century onward. Many have been turned into museums--Carnavalet, Picasso, Judaism, Hunting and Nature--so you can go inside and marvel at the architecture as well as the exhibits. Rue des Rosiers is a few blocks away, a Jewish quarter dating from the Middle Ages. We walked and gawked at all hours of the day and night, were never afraid or uneasy, never accosted for anything other than directions, and were continually delighted in our discoveries. By the last week, we thought we'd seen all the unusual sights in our area, only to stumble upon the oldest house in Paris, that of the alchemist Nicholas Flamel--1407--and another rare half-timbered house just around the corner from our apartment. We so often came upon wonderful sights --monuments, covered passages, an ancient plague hospital, a tiny square--on what turned out to be serendipity walks in our neighborhood.
The northern Marais area was perfect for us. Our idea of sightseeing in a city has always been to walk it, and this location was great for that. In 15 minutes, we could be on a bridge over the Seine watching the sunset, or at Place des Vosges for lunch. The fine Arts and Metiers Museum, housed in a grand old church and abbey, was just down the street, and the bustling rue Montorgueil , Les Halles, the Beaubourg, were all easy walks. We often went to the Latin Quarter, the Louvre, the Luxembourg Gardens --walks of varying distances, but doable. (To be honest, I must confess here that only my husband truly walked these distances. He can walk miles, and I can walk feet, so we took along a wheelchair for me. Les walked all those distances pushing his not-sylphlike wife throughout Paris, God bless him.)
The apartment itself was comfortable for 2 people. Though it says it can accomodate 4 to 5, which it could sleep, you would have to be VERY good friends , we thought, to make that work. The kitchen was complete, but not large enough for 2 people to work in. There was a sweet little terrace off the bedroom, lovely for a late-night glass of wine, or an afternoon read, if you could convince the pigeons it was your turn. We were on the fifth floor, but there was a small elevator which was always reliable. The apartment also faced onto a courtyard, not the street, and was very quiet. One neighbor played the clarinet--quite nicely, and only at reasonable hours--and everyone was pleasant. It is an old building that has been updated--not everything is spiffy and new--the ceiling paint is cracking in places, etc.--and it gets lots of direct sunlight which was not an issue in April-May, but could be in July. There is an AC unit in the living/dining room.
It's difficult to condense a month of experiences into a few paragraphs, but our time in Paris was exactly what we were hoping for.
Here are the web sites:
www.vrbo.com/117968
http://www.chemouni.com/bretagne/
Hopefully, I'll get to the trip report soon.
May 14th, 2008 | 11:54 AM
#7
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,738
Likes: 0
OK, let me just say that this is SO well written ! and really makes me want to urge you to please, keep writing!
I want to hear more! (please)
I was hooked at ....
<font color="blue">I don't think there was one day that, on leaving our apartment, I didn't gush, "I just love this neighborhood!"</font>
I want to hear more! (please)
I was hooked at ....
<font color="blue">I don't think there was one day that, on leaving our apartment, I didn't gush, "I just love this neighborhood!"</font>
Trending Topics
May 14th, 2008 | 12:47 PM
#10
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,301
Likes: 0
Can't wait to be able to open this link, as I think it's the same one we tried to get this past Dec/Jan. If so, I'll definitely try to get it next year. The location seemed wonderfully "Parisian" and, as Scarlett repeated, your comment on walking outside each day is the best reference!
I like areas that aren't "touristy," which is why we're going back to the 15th in November.
More, please!
I like areas that aren't "touristy," which is why we're going back to the 15th in November.
More, please!
May 14th, 2008 | 01:56 PM
#13
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 221
Likes: 0
Les/Cathy,
This a wonderful trip report. I feel like I won a prize when I can come home from work, check on email, and then Fodors and find not 1 but 2 new trip reports about Paris!!
How great to be there such a long time. Have you spent that much time before? Have you always stayed in the same area or is it a new neiborhood for you?
I loved the comment about getting the pigeons to share the terrace with you! More please!
lynda
This a wonderful trip report. I feel like I won a prize when I can come home from work, check on email, and then Fodors and find not 1 but 2 new trip reports about Paris!!
How great to be there such a long time. Have you spent that much time before? Have you always stayed in the same area or is it a new neiborhood for you?
I loved the comment about getting the pigeons to share the terrace with you! More please!
lynda
May 14th, 2008 | 02:57 PM
#15
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 903
Likes: 0
Les, there isn't such a thing as too many Paris trip reports! I'm especially hoping you write more because we are in correspondence about a possible home exchange with someone living on that very same square and I've been wanting to learn more about the area. I tried finding photos of Rue du Temple on Pages Jaunes but it doesn't seem to be working at the moment.
So far, your report is influencing me to say yes if the other people make an offer.
So far, your report is influencing me to say yes if the other people make an offer.
May 14th, 2008 | 03:23 PM
#16
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 657
Likes: 0
Les & Cathy,
Thank you, I'm so happy you are sharing with us. I'm guilty of not posting a report myself. Was in Paris for two weeks this past Feb. We also were in the same area as you but closer to Arts e'Metiers. It was heavenly. Sounds like we walked many of the same streets.
Love, love, love rue Bretagne, it's a walkers dream for shopping. Did you happen to try Casa Della Pasta the trattoria on rue de Bretagne? This is right across from Efants Rouge Marche. We loved the owner and his fresh ravioli here, we cooked it up back at the apartment.
I'll stay tuned and also try and work on my own overdue report as well...
E
Thank you, I'm so happy you are sharing with us. I'm guilty of not posting a report myself. Was in Paris for two weeks this past Feb. We also were in the same area as you but closer to Arts e'Metiers. It was heavenly. Sounds like we walked many of the same streets.
Love, love, love rue Bretagne, it's a walkers dream for shopping. Did you happen to try Casa Della Pasta the trattoria on rue de Bretagne? This is right across from Efants Rouge Marche. We loved the owner and his fresh ravioli here, we cooked it up back at the apartment.
I'll stay tuned and also try and work on my own overdue report as well...
E
May 14th, 2008 | 08:23 PM
#18
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 477
Likes: 0
Yikes! My dislexia won out, and I screwed up the VRBO link.
Here it is again:
http://www.vrbo.com/117698
Sorry about the confusion.
Also glad that you liked the report, but you're giving me too much credit. It was totally my wife's creation; I have yet to attempt a trip report, but I will try in the near future.
Thanks for all your nice comments.
Here it is again:
http://www.vrbo.com/117698
Sorry about the confusion.
Also glad that you liked the report, but you're giving me too much credit. It was totally my wife's creation; I have yet to attempt a trip report, but I will try in the near future.
Thanks for all your nice comments.
Jun 10th, 2008 | 11:32 PM
#20
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 477
Likes: 0
Well, I finally got my trip report written! I'll probably start a new thread to post it. It's very long, and will require multiple postings, I'm sure. I read in the FAQ that the max number of characters per posting is 3000. Is this a firm number, or only approximate? At what point would a posting get rejected? This will help me divide up my trip report for posting.
Thank you.
Thank you.
