The Perfect Arrival in Paris

The first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower when I’ve been away from Paris is always magical. As our taxi zoomed around the Boulevard Périphérique, I could tell we were getting close to the center of Paris when I spotted “La Grande Dame” lit up against the night sky. My romantic heart skipped a few beats! We excited the Périphérique and the taxi took a scenic route through Montparnasse where the theaters and restaurants filled the streets with brightly colored lights. I thought back to the quartier’s bohemian and artistic past as I caught a quick view of Rodin’s statue of Balzac surrounded by busy cafés.

As we approached our apartment in the 7th arrondissement, the golden dome of Les Invalides was another spectacular view against the dark sky. I knew we were close! The taxi stopped just outside the building of the Pomerol apartment, where the streets were busy with locals out doing the evening shopping on rue Cler around the corner. After settling in, that would be our next stop!

Stepping into the beautiful Pomerol apartment was like arriving at home. We were greeted by the charming and cheerful Kevin from Paris Perfect, who welcomed us into the apartment, showed us around and explained how everything worked, from the heaters and TVs to the handy washer and dryer combination unit. We unpacked and settled in right away, storing the suitcases away in the large closets – so as not to be reminded of leaving again all week!As I looked out the bedroom window to see the busy shops on rue Cler below, the Eiffel Tower began its magic light show. That was the moment I fell in love with the Pomerol apartment!

Before heading out to explore, I flipped through the great neighborhood information booklet provided by Paris Perfect, which contains detailed information on food shopping and restaurants (and so much more!) in the area. Shopping for food in Paris is one of my favorite things to do, and the Pomerol’s location just around the corner from the famous rue Cler market street was a dream! We strolled along, stopping first in Top Halles for some framboises for breakfast (raspberries are challenging to find in Italy!) and other fresh fruit.

Just across the street was a small supermarket where we picked up a few essentials before heading down rue Cler. The scents coming out from the cheese shops and food shops selling roasted chickens were divine! It was a hard choice whether to pick up something tempting and enjoy a relaxing dinner at the Pomerol with a view of the Eiffel Tower or to stop in a local restaurant. The busy Tribeca restaurant on rue Cler lured us in with its specials of the day. Having noticed it was recommended in the Paris Perfect neighborhood guide, I knew we’d eat well – and we certainly did!

One of the best parts of staying in a Paris Perfect short term rental in the 7^th arrondissement is being so close to the Eiffel Tower. After dinner we bundled up and strolled over to the Champ de Mars to see the Eiffel Tower. As if the view couldn’t get more romantic, we arrived just in time to see the hourly light show. This is the Paris I dream of! We crossed the Seine River on the Pont d’Iéna bridge, where the views were even more spectacular. Boats were making their way slowly up and down the river, and we spotted romantic dinners and special parties taking place on them as they floated by. Crossing over the pretty Passerelle Debilly footbridge, we were back in the 7^th arrondissement and just a short walk back to the Pomerol. It was the perfect romantic evening and welcome back to the beautiful city of Paris!

Born right in the middle of America, Laura grew up as a travel lover and nomad, living in eight different states before making the jump to expat life in southern Italy in 2008. As a young girl she dreamed of travelling to France and Italy, collected travel books and began a lifelong love affair with photography. She attended St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, where she fell in love with living in a sailing town and studying languages. Graduate school pulled her back to the Midwest, where she completed a Masters in Art History at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. During a fateful holiday on the Amalfi Coast she fell in love with southern Italian architecture and one very special tour guide. Laura now lives in another sailing town, the seaside village of Amalfi, Italy, where she works as a freelance writer. It’s an easy hop to Paris, the other place she loves to live, and she travels to Paris as often as possible to explore, shop in the wonderful open air markets, visit as many museums as possible and enjoy “la vie parisienne.” Laura has been working with Paris Perfect for the past two years where she shares her love of Paris as a writer and contributor to the Paris Perfect Blog.

Other Photo Credits: Laura Thayer

Posted on Sunday, February 20th, 2011 at 5:30 am in Favorite Paris Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.