Paris (8)

With Steve wanting to ”take the day off,” I continued with exploring. I had noted the Sainte Chapelle de Vincennes in the pretty King Louis XVI Square nearby and decided to visit. It is known as the Expiatory Chapel and dedicated to the memory of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI and built on the site of the former Madeline cemetery, the spot where the king and queen had been buried after their execution during the French Revolution (their remains were later moved to Saint Denis Basilica). I learned all this as I visited the chapel, which I visited as I found it so appealing.

As much as I enjoyed visiting the chapel and learning about it, I got really, really excited when I noticed a vending machine in the entrance area. I did not know the exact form of what I was looking for, but, I had been looking for a number of years! What was it? Each of the historical monuments has a commemorative gold coin engraved with that particular site. And this was the first site where I actually found a vending machine with the coins. Then I had to buy a postcard to get the 2 Euros I needed to get my very first coin.

Following my excursion to the Chapel, I walked to the Perfume Museum and enjoyed looking at the exhibits. They were interesting but not really good photographic material. Then, it was time to consult my phone for the map back to the apartment. I have no sense of direction, so, the phone map has opened a whole new world for me!

Going to dinner I caught sight of the building pictured below. Who could not love a city that has buildings like this that just show up on street corners?!

Being so close to the train station also meant that a taxi stand was easily accessible. As we walked to take a cab to our hotel, Steve noted the sculpture, which was perfect in front of a train station.

As we leave the apartment, I am including one last apartment picture of the the kitchen as it was quite nice with all the requisite appliances, compactly arranged, including a combination washer/dryer. Figuring out how to use them was another issue!

Now to compare renting apartments versus staying in hotels while traveling, I will flatly state that for us, we prefer hotels. Our really only good apartment experience was some years ago when a friend rented a 3-bedroom apartment in Paris in November (off season) when the photo show was taking place, and, we had one of the bedrooms. Finding a one-bedroom apartment in a good location is a challenge to start, and, finding a nice one is even a bigger challenge. Unless they are really high-end rentals, most rentals are furnished minimally, which generally also means lesser quality. In reading a book written about a couple who traveled from place to place with no permanent home for a number of years, the author commented that almost no rental ever had comfortable chairs. That has been our experience, limited as it is, as well. Supposedly one can feel as though they are actually living somewhere, which is true to some extent. That also means that if you want coffee and juice and something to eat in the morning, then you need to find the nearest store and buy what you want. No room service! If you want clean dishes, you have to wash them. No one brings fresh towels each day or makes the bed or takes out the garbage or makes you a drink before dinner. Quite honestly, our hotel room with a king-size bed, a built-in desk, a small table with two comfortable chairs and an outside balcony with seating is much more comfortable than the apartment was. Not speaking the language fluently also adds to the challenges when you are renting in a foreign country. In a hotel, someone at reception will help you with whatever the issue is. Renting an apartment also requires that the full amount of the stay be paid in advance with no real recourse. We wanted to try apartment rentals and are glad we did, and, now, we can rent nice hotel rooms with a clear conscience. And, if Mr. Vanderbilt, who could afford anything he wanted, decided to move full time into The Plaza, who could argue that staying in a hotel is not a great idea!