Some stuff about where we stayed and how one gets blasé about passing by Notre Dame every day.

While in Paris we stayed in an apartment on a small island on the Seine right next to Ile de la Cité (where Notre Dame cathedral is) called Ile Saint Louis. The address was 25 Rue Saint Louis en l'Ile. The "en l'Ile" part is there I assume because there's another Rue Saint Louis somewhere that is not en l'Ile? Anyway, we got the place through Home Away, which is similar to Air B&B. I think I've already sent the Home Away property link around, but if not here it is again. It was great and very well situated.

The building was built in the 1600's. There are exposed beams inside which I can only assume are original. One of them is huge. It must be about 1/2 metre square. Things are delightfully crooked as you look at the doorways, stairwell, windows, etc.

Look! We brought our mess along!

Can you smell the yummy cheese smell emanating from the tiny kitchen? The first
day I picked up some really ripe Brie (I think) and something equally as ripe from
Savoie(maybe).  I got nothing but complaints about stinky cheese from everyone
whenever I opened the fridge. I told them that's what a proper French fridge and
kitchen are supposed to smell like. As I seemed to be the only one eating it there
was lots left so I got to drag my stinky cheese with me on to La Baule then
Vaux-Sur-Mer as well! The car and my backpack smelled wonderful.

25 Rue Saint Louis en l'Ile.

Plaque on the building.

Right across the street there is a boulangerie, a boucher, and a vin et fromage shop. I put that picture in an earlier post. Just down on the left is the (world famous?) Berthillon ice cream shop. Sometimes the lineup for ice cream is huge. It holds up traffic (the streets are narrow) until people shuffle out of the way. Berthillon supplies at least 4 other places just on Ile Saint Louis with their ice cream, so the clever people (us!) simply go to the place half a block away. It really is good ice cream.

Looking left (west) from the street door. The
oval sign off on the left that you can barely see
says Berthillon. No line up because they
weren't open yet.

Looking right. We never actually went this way.

There was also a place that served ice cream that they scooped and placed like flower petals. Zita had heard about it and was dying to go. I missed that stop but Zita took a picture to post for her friends.

As I mentioned, Ile Saint Louis is right next to Ile de la Cité where they have this giant cathedral. People come from all over and line up to get in to see it. It is quite lovely. Every time we headed out to somewhere on the Metro or RER, we walked west along our street, over the bridge to Ile de la Cité and past the wacking great cathedral, then south across the next bridge to the left bank and along to the station. Or we might walk right alongside the cathedral then over to the left bank if Dunc and Clara want to ride the springy things. Of course the first couple of times we oohed and aahed at the cathedral, walked around it and took pictures. But then after a while we got all "oh yeah Notre Dame we see it every day". Finally Alex pointed out we were getting too casual and should value our proximity for what it was!

Whacking Great Cathedral.

Springy Things.

From the hind end.

More Springy Things.

Checking out the river from the far side of Pont Saint Louis.

From the Pont de l'Archevêché. Check out those flying buttresses!

Zita and I did not see the inside of the cathedral. Alex and Dunc and Clara all went in for a visit and to light some candles on the day Z and I went to Vimy. Next time...