3. Our apartment in Paris

For our first five weeks in Paris we have an apartment at 14 rue Bachaumont, Paris 75002.  We are in the 2nd Arrondissement in the mainly pedestrian area of Montorgeuil on the north or right bank (rive droit) of the Seine.  We are about 1 km north of the apartment we had in 2011.

This is the entrance gate to our building (the dark iron and glass door in the centre of the picture) with a rack of Velos out the front.  Velos are hop-on hop-off bicycles for which you pay about $1 per day.  There is a Velo stand every 300 metres in the inner 10 Arrondissements (districts).

 

Looking to the left along the quiet rue Bachaumont to the busy rue Montmartre.

 

Looking right along rue Bachaumont to the fabulous pedestrian precinct of rue Montorgueil.

 

Looking upwards at our building, we have two windows and two small balconies on the 2nd floor (in the very middle of the photo).  Let me show you inside.  The building has a lift.  We have stayed in walk up buildings and it is very hard lugging suitcases, etc up narrow flights of stairs.  These days - there must be a lift.

 

This is the entry hall. Kitchen and bedroom off one side; living dining room off the other and bathroom at the end.

 

The living/dining area has the two windows to the street and two doors to the entry hall.  Paul is set up on the dining table and I have a little desk.

 

The bedroom is quite spacious by French standards and the kitchen is tiny, but quite workable.  It still has it's original terracotta floor tiles.  Overall, the apartment still has lots of its original features but with a modern kitchen and bathroom.  The best things: the two balconies to the street and the space to have a computer desk each. The less than perfect things: the mattress which could be a good deal firmer and the lack of pots and pans for cooking.  The owners are American - there are lots of microwave containers but no roasting pan, only one saucepan and a very poor frying pan. I never thought I'd need to buy pots and pans in France.

 

Looking out the windows onto rue Bachaumont, to the Velos below.

 

Looking left towards rue Montorgueil and the mop and bucket on our second balcony.

 

Looking right towards rue Montmartre.  Our windows face South so the apartment is very light and sunny.

 

And in one of the commercial premises below us is " L'Atelier De L'Eclair" - the workshop of the eclair.  €4.20 each.  Needless to say we haven't beaten a path to their door.  I think a future post will be a comparison of the relative claims of competing patisseries.