It’s Sunday, and the end of week #3 in Paris. Sounds of
traffic from the Sunday market pour through the open window as Amandine’s
little Italian coffee maker sizzles on the stove. I’m going to miss this
apartment, and the neighborhood it’s in. I’ve realized that what at first
seemed like a miniscule living space (236 square feet) is actually a large
luxury studio in Paris. It’s true that after living here awhile the spaces have
opened up and feel, well, not large, but very comfortable. Or maybe that’s just
the effect a crowded city like Paris has on people; any personal space feels
like a luxury.
This
weekend in France is the annual Journées du Patrimoine, or “Days of Patrimony” during which governement and
private buildings open their doors to the general public. Buildings that are
usually off-limits to the public like the Elysée (the president’s
quarters), the Saint-Jacques tower, and
the RATP metro station reserved solely for shooting films welcome visitors this
weekend. The French have a lot of pride
in their history, and show up by the thousands for this event, standing in line
for hours for everything from a tour of the sewers of the 13th
arrondissement to a glimpse of the interior of the French White House.
I
ran all over Paris yesterday. Ironically, none of my visits had to do with the Journées
du Patrimoine. I was looking at apartments.
The search for apartments has been a long one. First, due to work I wasn’t able
to visit apartments right away. I would come home, eat, and spend the evening
searching online for possibilities. Then, if I did get a response, I’d make an
appointment for the weekend, by which time the owner would have already found
someone. I’ve been using the website appartager.com, a site for people renting
rooms in houses or looking to share an apartment. Sometimes I call the same day
that an announcement shows up on the site, only to be told that it’s already
been rented. I knew before that Paris is a big city, but I’m only just starting
to realize how bad housing really is here. A studio is out of the question.
Rooms here go for about 600 euros a month.
This week I finally got to visit
some apartments. I’ve been to 6 so far, the most promising being in the 9th
arrondissement. It’s a great neighborhood, not too far a commute from work and
full of exciting shops and cafés. The woman renting the room is a single mom
with 2 teenage daughters. Their artistic, slightly disorderly apartment struck
me rather un-French, and extremely attractive. The rent is a little high, but
for the location and family atmosphere I would gladly move in without
hesitation. I won’t find out until Wednesday what they decide, but I have high
hopes.
On my way home yesterday evening,
as I rolled into “Place d’Italie” the metro station was suddenly filled with
hoards of whooping young people. The Technoparade, another annual event, had
apparently just finished its rounds in the 13th arrondissement.
Cramming onto my next train with all those people was out of the question, so I
fought my way up the steps to the open plaza, where thousands of people were
still gathered. There’s a picture below, as well as one from a tour of the
university library Sainte-Geneviève, from early last week. Unfortunately, I
neglected to bring my camera with me to Marseille last weekend, so I have very
little in the way of pictures. I promise to take more from here on out.
Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève
Techno-Parade crowd
The last couple of weeks have been
hard, what with apartment searching, orientation activities, and learning the
ropes of my job. I won’t go into it now, though; this post is already plenty
long. Today I’m having lunch with my boss
and the students from the Sarah Lawrence Program at a nearby traditional French
restaurant in the 6th arrondissement. Then I’ll be visiting one more
apartment, home of another single mother with 2 daughters, this time in the east of
Paris. It sounds promising.
Sending love from Paris!
