If you’re not too picky, the apartment we rented for a month is just about perfect. We’ve already described the residential, non-tourist neighborhood, despite Sacre Coeur being just a few blocks up the hill. Most of the tourist traffic comes up the other side of the hill, through the historic part of Montmartre. That’s just fine with us. Here’s a tour of our digs. It’s just a small living room with a table to dine at, a kitchen alcove, a bedroom, and bath. You’ve already see the living room, but here’s a repeat:
I think, if they wanted, that it’s a working fireplace (after pulling the Victrola out of it), because there was a notice posted in the ground floor vestibule about flue/chimney cleaning services, and some of the residents had signed up for it. For now, it has a metal cover fitted in the opening. The kitchen is directly behind me as I take this shot.
The bedroom is a similarly oriented room (same window aspect), connected by a window paned door. On the right foreground is part of the counter that separates the kitchen from the living room.
The bedroom is cramped with a queen sized bed, but is very comfortable, with bookshelves, a stereo, and plenty of storage space for clothes behind the mirrored closet doors. Yup, it has a closed-off fireplace too. The door on the left in the bottom right picture leads to the bathroom.
The bathroom is about the same size as the one in our r.v. A little bowl sink, a tiled shower with a sort-of rainfall shower head, just big enough to stand in. Unfortunately, it lacks a curtain or any other means of keeping the water from splashing all over. No matter how you stand, the water bounces off and partly out. We just mop it up, but I wonder why there isn’t a simple curtain? You’ll also notice one other thing missing from the room. A toilet. Well, we have one, but it’s by itself in a little – and I mean little – room of its own between the living room and bedroom. I suppose they have them in the States, but personally I’ve never seen a corner toilet before.
Let me tell you, with the door closed there is virtually no room for my legs. They are crammed right up against the wall and door. And, you have to go around to the other room to wash your hands! Like I said, quirky, but livable. The kitchen is entirely adequate for our use. Four burner stove, a small counter, and a corner sink that is awkward to use, to say the least. I have to wash the dishes in a tub set on the counter because it’s too hard to reach into the sink. Only Loni could be so happy about cooking in Paris.
The balconies are so small (and, a hundred years old) that we don’t spend any time on them. If we did, our views up and down the street look like this, and the view directly out the windows across to the apartments on the other side of the street.
We have ok internet service, about as good as the one I’m going to upgrade from at home, but it is serviceable as long as you don’t try to stream anything. It’s good enough for a Skype call now and then, although we aren’t always successful.
That’s it! 40, rue Lamarck, Paris 18e, six floors and 114 steps every darn time.
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