We spent a week in Paris in the beginning of June.

Since there were a total of four of us, we decided to rent an apartment again – like what we did in Vienna and Barcelona in past years. This arrangement saved us money, gave us more room to move about. Apartments in Europe are always more cozy than a hotel.

The apartment was located in the Latin Quarter, 5th arrondisement, near the Sorbonne on the left bank. 4th floor with an elevator.

This apartment has several unusual features – the elevator opens directly into the apartment’s foyer – each floor is one apartment and we use a key to select the floor on which the elevator stops. We had seen these type lock-n-key operated elevators used in lofts, converted from warehouse, in Soho, New York.

Another oddity is the tri-level layout – top = sleeping loft + shower; middle = bedroom + toilet, bath + laundry machine + elevator, and then bottom = kitchen-living room – all connected by a wide marble(?) staircase.

The surprise awaiting us at this apartment was the VIEW – Cathedrale de Notre Dame just across the little bridge (petit pont) over a narrow section of the Seine.

At the time of finding an apartment, we were not looking for any view – all we were concerned was the number of bathrooms and a central convenient location.

Living Room

Kitchen – small but fully equipped except it lacks a microwave. It had an American-size refrigerator (i.e., big, especially given the size of the kitchen) which is relatively rare on the continent.

Bathroom 1

Another bathroom with shower and jacuzzi.

The loft was used also for sleeping.

The location cannot be any more convenient for a tourist. One of Paris’s famous landmarks is just outside.

The downside of this location is that we were surrounded by tourists, day and night – the bars and restaurants do not close till 2-3am in the morning. When these establishments close for the night, the patrons spill outside, many of whom are drunk and start singing or arguing on the street.

During the week, we heard in the middle of the night two fights – groups of men and a few girls yelling at each other followed by the sound of breaking glass – no one seemed to be hurt I think. Suffice to say, we barely slept even after wearing earplugs found in airline convenience pack (Thanks to M).

While renting an apartment has many advantages, there was a ton of  details to manage – from coordinating with someone hired by the owner to pickup and drop off the keys, to paying a deposit and buying hose content insurance – all just for a week.