France on $70 a Day - Paris - Day Two

David searching for bargains in Clingancourt.


It's 6:30 and David is still sleeping as is most of Paris on this Sunday morning. But I don't mind. I've got my iced tea, complete with ice cubes thanks to three ice cube trays I brought from home, and a quiet half hour to write.

David and I are convinced an apartment, particularly this apartment, is the best base to have in Paris. The longer we stay here, the more impressed we are with its comforts. Phillipe seems to have thought of every amenity. Paris has provided comfortable temperatures and blue skies so far, but, should the weather change, two umbrellas wait by the front door. There's a sewing kit for clothing emergencies, and, should no emergencies of any kind arise, there are champagne flutes for celebrating. We even have magnets on the refrigerator door! But, more importantly, we are already feeling like this place is our haven in this beautiful but bustling city. We loved returning from a long day yesterday after touring Clingancourt, the largest flea market in the city with close to a thousand vendors, and Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre, to "our home."
Sacre Coeur

Later we prepared an easy dinner. I'm perfectly content with entrees from the boulangerie that are, to me, fresh and unlike anything I find in San Diego. With a cheese and mushroom fogosse or a croque monsieur or even a thick slab of Sicilian-style pizza and a salad from greens we bought at the market, I'm a happy woman.

David, on the other hand, enjoys buying the frozen entrees that are better than anything we've ever found in Stateside freezers. Either way, while I suppose it's obvious we are not foodies, we feel we're eating well and experiencing a bit of French cuisine, while certainly staying within our budget. And after spending 3.5 euros yesterday for a Coke at a Clingancourt cafe, we are more convinced than ever that self-catering is the best way to deal with this expensive city.

It's time now to wake David. After our breakfast of pain au chocolate, we're going on a 3.5 hour free tour of Paris's central area. Since we finally feel recovered from jet lag, we are ready for Paris to reveal her charms to us.