John and I had been to Paris before. Paris has a vibe like no other city, I believe. There is something about its hum, its sparkle, and the light and life in each corner of every block. One just feels like they are walking in the shoes of someone special or famous. It is familiar and iconic, but always new. This time, we mostly walked and explored without any lengthy tours or reservations. Our days unfolded organically. We had visited Paris together and separately in years past, having seen many of the incredible sights of the city. This time, however, John and I wanted to feel and act like locals.
Our apartment was in a student area that was rustic chic, with shops and cafes that had more of an edge than we had previously experienced in Paris. Like many of our check-ins, this was a puzzle and perhaps the worst of any apartment on the trip. We had a lock box code to enter the main door. Once inside, we had to find a key fob taped under a bank of mailboxes. Next, the fob was used to enter the inner door. Then we were to proceed to the right of the elevator bank to yet another door – another code to get through this one. Now we entered a pitch-dark winding hall with a ceiling so low that John had to bend at the waist. We eventually found lights on the wall and proceeded to the winding back service staircase that went up three flights to the door to the apartment. A key was needed to enter. Gulp… was this going to be creepy? Au contraire! The apartment was smart and fashionable in a bohemian kind of way and turned out to be in keeping with our desire to live like the locals.
We strolled around the city and visited Isle Saint Louis, one of my personal favorites, and grabbed lunch at a tiny, wonderful café with a quintessential husband and wife team serving and cooking, Aux Anysetiers du Roy.
Later we walked around Notre Dame and marveled at the giant scaffoldings and progressing work. We watched the children casting sailboats at the Jardin des Tuileries. The one major tourist destination that I had never seen was the Rodin Museum. John agreed to revisit it with me. I can understand how people have raved about it, as it was stunning, with indoor exhibitions of his work and his private collection of art he purchased from contemporaries, and a lush sculpture garden.
