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We have officially ended our Paris trip and our 30 year anniversary celebration; we have been home now for one week.  So, why have I been so quiet?  Recuperation time and getting familiar with the things we left behind a month ago.  But, now is the time for posting our adventures.

The first half a day:
We arrived at the studio apartment we would call home around noon.  After keying in the entry access code we were greeted by the owner, Christophe who made us feel welcome.  After some time spent showing us where everything was and how it all works, Christophe left us with detailed instructions on using the television, computer, stereo and washer/dryer combination unit (more on this thing later).  He then bid us a good day left us to explore the studio and actually realize we had made it.  We were in Paris!

Of course, after the long flight and empty studio the first thing we wanted was food.  Being Sunday though, not everything is Paris is open.  After a quick exploration though we found this place open,

After a glance on their posted menu we decided to order the Plat du Jour which was a simple cheeseburger and fries.  Venturing inside we greeted the one person we saw on staff and I somewhat confidently asked for, "deux plat du jour s'il vous plait" to which she stated there was no plat du jour on Sunday.  Immediately after this we realized our true limitation in speaking French as we could not get an order placed.  We asked the lady on duty if she spoke English and she stated she did not.  After a couple of frustrating minutes for all of us, the lady stepped outside to the only other customers and found one that spoke English.  Yay!  We ended up being able to order the cheeseburger and fries, which was fine with us.  The food arrived and we enjoyed a full meal that made our stomachs happy.  I credit the lady on duty that day for taking the time to find someone that spoke English and she did make us feel welcome as we had our meal and a little coffee afterward.

Fortunately, right behind this cafe was a little market that was open.  Fresh produce, coffee, sodas, the essentials we needed to make it through until we could find a proper grocery store.

 It was here, in this little market we were introduced to sterile milk.  Amazing, milk that does not need refrigeration until you open it and has a shelf life for months, not just a couple of weeks.  We ended up coming back to this little market several times as he was always open and his prices were fairly reasonable.

The first Full Day in Paris:
The next morning we discovered directly behind us was Bon 'heur de pains.  While it may not be the quaint little bakery most people think of when heading to Paris, the did have very good croissants and bread.  We picked up a couple of sandwiches from them for lunches which were also very good.  And cheap!  Cheap is always good.  We quickly became addicted to stopping here each morning and grabbing croissants as we headed out for our daily adventures.

One of the first things we had to do was grab some Euros from the ATM which we discovered about two blocks away.  The first time we used it we were a little apprehensive as it was on the street but, with a little common sense and each of us taking turns standing lookout we managed it just fine.  We each pulled a little cash to make sure both are cards worked, they did, and we were off and running.

We wandered down Rue Beauborg which turns into Rue du Renard and ends at the Hôtel de Ville.

 I love the architecture of this building, plus, it has statues of prominent French leaders throughout history.  One in particular I saw that I found fascinating is on the top floor the left of the window, Cardinal Richelieu.  Yes, that would be the same Cardinal Richelieu Alexander Dumas would later write about in The Three Musketeers. Sadly, I did not get a photo of it.

Continuing across the open yard of Hôtel de Ville and across the bridge we found probably the most famous church in the world, Notre Dame de Paris.  As you can tell by the picture it was early evening and the tours and access had ended for the day but, we did manage quite a few shots of this iconic church.

As the sun continued to fall, we continued to wander and as dusk fell we happened across these little alleyways (they do have street names but they are so narrow they are more alleys than streets) teaming with nightlife. 

 

As we passed a few restaurants we realized we hadn't eaten for hours so, we decided to find a place for dinner.  As it happened, we ended up in a Mexican restaurant ... Mexican food ... in Paris!  I don't remember the name of the resto but I do remember the food wasn't all that bad.  It definitely is Paris' take on Mexican food.  While the food was tasty, I wouldn't recommend eating there if you are looking for authentic Mexican food.

After we ate we headed back to our studio, stopping along the way to grab a few night photos of Notre Dame, bridges across the Seine and Hôtel de Ville.

And that pretty much sums up our first day and a half in Paris.  Stay tuned as I put together the rest of our trip.