Paris Pied-a-Terre and Paris Market

We arrived Paris eager and exhausted.  Our hostess, April Tash, met us on the Boulevard at 4:30 p.m. and spent over two hours chatting with us about the area, fascinating history of our apartment, and we even took a stroll of the neighborhood with April as she pointed out the boulangerie, pharmacie, wine shop, cafes, mini market, and the freshwater spring that still supplies the drinking water of the neighborhood.  Below are photos of our apartment, beginning with arriving at the door on the street, then to the inner courtyard, and finally up a flight of very old stairs to the second floor.

Entry Door to 11 rue Moulin des Pres

Entry Door to 11 rue Moulin des Pres

Behind entry door a passageway to courtyard

Behind entry door a passageway to courtyard

Starting down the courtyard

Starting down the courtyard

The courtyard is very old and uneven

The courtyard is very old and uneven

Walking down the courtyard is stepping back in time.  Our neighborhood is a working class neighborhood with mixed tenants, some very poor and others well off.  April, herself, is Harvard educated and works at the United Nations.  Obviously April is not poor.  But on the courtyard, you see spaces in front of other apartments fixed up for a garden, a patio area with table, and other things, some looking a step above a tenement, some looking cared for, but very mixed.

Family's patio area in courtyard

Family’s patio area in courtyard

Window geraniums in Courtyard

Window geraniums in Courtyard

Gardening in the Courtyard

Gardening in the Courtyard

At the very far end of the courtyard about a block in length, is our apartment.  The stairs are very old and with each step, you sway one way or another.  The old steps seem to be holding the building up.  There is a very modern light switch at the bottom of stairs that is connected to a sensor so that the light turns off after you have left the stairwell.  Light is a necessity as the stairs are like an obstacle course.

Beginning ascent up stairwell

Beginning ascent up stairwell

Our Stairwell, looking down from the top, it curves in a U shape

Our Stairwell, looking down from the top, it curves in a U shape

Bikes parked along the courtyard; for some, this is their transportation

Bikes parked along the courtyard; for some, this is their transportation

Once you enter the apartment, you are transported to a Parisian pied-a’-terre.  Every inch is packed with practical application.  We found the ironing board stored under the sitting room beds.  The dryer [an old-fashioned clothes drying rack] was stored behind the pantry [an armoire restored to hold plates and a few food items].  The iron was stored in the upper cabinet above the sink along with the hot water heater.  The washing machine was behind a small cabinet under the toaster oven.  The refrigerator was behind a cabinet door under the sink.

Our kitchen

Our kitchen

April had hired an architect to update the apartment after purchasing.  The architect had to make do with a building that could not have any holes knocked out for fear the entire building would collapse.  Therefore, to run the AC, we open the window and hang the vent over the iron railing, and run the AC with window open.

Washing machine and dryer in one machine

Washing machine and dryer in one machine

Child's chair crafter by owner's father

Child’s chair crafted by owner’s father

I fell in love with the charm of our Parisian apartment.  We had windows all along the courtyard and could open them for fresh air.  The sun would pour into the sitting room and table in the afternoon.  Armoires were used to store clothing and as a pantry.

Beautiful armoire in bedroom

Beautiful armoire in bedroom

Pantry armoire [door is open and shelves are lined with blue checkerboard paper]

Pantry armoire [door is open and shelves are lined with blue checkerboard paper]

Even though we thought we were exhausted, we ventured out that evening to the rue de la Butte Aux Cailles filled with cafes and bursting at the seams with young people drinking, smoking and probably eating as well.  Everyone seemed under 30.  We wandered until we came upon a Thai Restaurant and a delicious meal.

Eating on the street at our Thai Restaurant, one of our favorites

Eating on the street at our Thai Restaurant, one of our favorites

Of course we couldn’t wait to shop at the open air market on Auguste Blanqui where every Friday, Sunday and Tuesday the sidewalk is transformed to a market that goes for blocks of produce, flowers, cheese, clothes, rugs, soap, roasted chickens and potatoes, fresh fish, cheese, olives, spices.  It was very trying for me to pretend I could shop, not knowing a word of French.  By this time my head was so muddled with Italian and other languages, all that came out was Gratzie, muy bueno, as I fumbled for the right French word.  Rather than rudeness, we encountered only patience and smiling tolerance at our befuddlement.

Vegetables at  La Butte aux Cailles open-air market

Vegetables at La Butte aux Cailles open-air market

Olives at  La Butte aux Cailles open-air market

Olives at La Butte aux Cailles open-air market

Spices, nuts and dates at  La Butte aux Cailles open-air market

Sausages at La Butte aux Cailles open-air market

One man felt so sorry for me, he tried to show me how to use my fingers to hold up how many peaches I wanted instead of trying to say the number of kilograms.  He was very gracious.

Fish vendor at  La Butte aux Cailles open-air market

Fish vendor at La Butte aux Cailles open-air market

Flowers at  La Butte aux Cailles open-air market

Flowers at La Butte aux Cailles open-air market

We arrived home to our apartment with a bounty of fresh fruit, bread, and wine, plenty to provide lunch and breakfast [as the French seem to only eat a croissant and coffee for breakfast].

One-days shopping in open-air market

One-days shopping in open-air market

We later strolled the streets of our neighborhood and found some of the original streets and single-family cottages.

Walking historical streets of our Paris neighborhood

Walking historical streets of our Paris neighborhood

Cottage homes in our Paris neighborhood

Cottage homes in our Paris neighborhood

The neighborhood overflows with cafes and at any time of day locals flock to them to enjoy their cafe, wine, and smoke.  There are also small parks and a fountain.  There is a lot of very old history in this neighborhood, mixed with modern high rise apartments.

Fountain in La Butte aux Cailles

Fountain in La Butte aux Cailles

Closeup of Fountain

Closeup of Fountain

And so it goes.  Learning the language, learning the French customs, learning the transportation system — we have challenges and many rewards.  For now, I will say Au Revoir, until another day.

Looking from bedroom window to street below

Looking from bedroom window to street below

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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