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A mosquito bit my thumb on the Paris metro! I'm sure it's not dengue. Surely not up here. It was grey and twice the size of your common Queensland mozzie and it was very unexpected.
The transition from Gare du Nord to the metro was seamless and the metro trains arrived like clockwork. Our AirBNB host said that half an hour from Gare du Nord was optimistic but we did it in 20. It was a sunday and possibly a public holiday which may have sped things up.
We find 5 Rue Des Ecouffes with ease and it barely looks like an appartment block. It is an archway door among bistros, butchers and creperies. It has a stone spiral staircase, exposed ceiling beams and a hidden garden in the centre of the building. It's smaller than the other AirBNBs but the use of bunk double beds creates extra space and the kitchen/dining/living in one space makes it very cosy. The location is ridiculous - two streets from the metro and three streets from the Seine. I chose the place on proximity and price and had no clue how cool the neighbouhood would be. We are one metro stop from
the Bastille and will check out the markets (marche) there tomorrow. However, it could also be another public holiday and we just hope something is open and we can get some supplies.
We dropped off our bags and planned to stroll the local streets and find somewhere to eat. First we had to establish wi-fi. Being unconnected is unacceptable and I felt a heightened level of anxiety until I was 'connected' to my freind Google. Phew!
We walked around the area and there are so many places to eat - felafels seem popular and crepes are common. We looked in a few places but were a little intimidated by the menu in French, the prices of some dishes and whether kids were welcome. We settled upon Les Jacasses (I've called it the Jackasses but I'm not sure I've translated that correctly) and it is right next door to our appartment. You can see the green door in the photo - that's our entrance.
I bumble through my basic french introduction and prepare for a dismissive scoff.
"Pardon, non Francaise. Parlez-vous anglais?"
"yes! of course!"
"merci! merci!"
"Where are you from?"
"Australia!"
"Australie...long flight?"
"Oui."
I love this guy and we grab a corner table and enjoy our meals. The kids have the "enfant burger" which is actually a rissole and chips. I order a chicken salad as I know what that is. He knows I'm not a "salad guy" and suggests a chicken club sandwich that is delightful and compliments the pint of Stella perfectly. The girls share a tapas platter and the highlight is a roast camembert with honey and peppercorns.
An early night tonight and we retire up the spiral staircase. Maggie tries to login to Netflix with her Australian password and we have success. English movies and TV at our fingertips. French It's a Knockout was fine 17 years ago but I'm not sure the kids would appreciate it.
This little corner of Paris (4th Arrondissement) is beautiful in the warm spring evening and I can't wait to see the "real" sites tomorrow.
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