Well, after getting no sleep over the 4th of July weekend, and no sleep on the plane, it’s a wonder I’m awake enough to write this post.
First, it took us about 2 hours to get a rental car. Which blew up about 200 yards from the airport entrance. Man, Parisians get MAD when you block traffic. But some nice lovely fellows came and helped us take the rental car back to Hertz. We had too much trouble entirely, and about 2 hours after renting the first car, they finally provided us with a suitable automatic vehicle with air conditioning.
We were so happy to finally be on the road. But that joy did not last, because it took us nearly 3 hours to find our flat. Some streets in Paris are car streets, some are pedestrian only. Who knew?
BTW, Google is not really a great tool for learning to drive in a foreign city. Get a GPS. I am dead series. It will save you so much time and stress. I never needed a GPS in the States, but when you can’t figure out French directions, you need all the help you can get.
Luckily, my salvation came in the form of a handsome cab driver who spoke English. I jumped out of the rental car at a stop light near Notre Dame and hopped in his cab and he knew exactly where to take me,
THANK GOD. Cuz at this point, I was hungry, thirsty, crotchety and tired of my mom’s constant slamming on the brakes.
The folks I rented the flat from are beyond belief. They are the nicest people I’ve met in Paris so far. They came down to the rental car and helped us park and get the bags and left us with tons of information about how to get around Paris. They pointed us to the best gelato spot in the 5th District (where we are staying) and even walked me to the nearest ATM so I could get some Euros. Super sweet people, just divine. And the little 1-bed flat we are staying in is perfect. I’m going to dig up their contact info and post it later, because this is the mopst affordable place to stay in Paris with the loveliest landlords ever.
The area we are staying in is very cool. It’s a little residential street off a busy main street, so it’s quiet. But lots of shops and pubs are right around the corner. 3 grocery stores and 2 train stations within walking distance, so that’s sweet. A nice diverse mixture of young people from many cultures and a happening nightlife. Definitely a good pick on the accommodations. Yay me!
After washing up and getting some grub and a nap, tensions improved. Tomorrow I’m looking forward to visiting the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. Hopefully we can make it there in one piece.
