Unlike a lot of travelers who are only looking for a place to sleep at night, we have always felt that where you stay is an integral part of travel. That's why we have rented apartments and homes for most of our four decade travel career. And in all those years, we have rarely found a more perfect place than Madame Dominique's apartment in the Marais.
The location, in a lovely building across the street from the river Seine, and with a Metro stop literally outside our front door, could not have been more ideal. There is a basic supermarket right around the corner, and jus a few blocks away, on Rue de Rivoli, is an incredible array of fresh fruit and vegetable shops, cheese shops wine stores and bakeries. The area is also the home of hundreds of fabulous restaurants, cafes, brasseries, wine bars and cocktail lounges. And shopping along the characteristic narrow, winding streets of this district is a joy in itself.
The apartment itself is beautiful and spacious - the photos on this site are lovely, but dont do it justice. The space is beautiful, and beautifully decorated with antiques and objets d'arts collected by the owners over the years. The apartment has walk-out balconies in almost every room. A glass of wine out on the corner balcony became the start of every evening for us.
Practicality-wise, the apartment is fully equipped and supplied. You can prepare coffee three different ways, and it would be no challenge to prepare a gourmet meal here (and eat it in style in the lovely dining room).
This apartment is truly a home, and felt like one. We spent three weeks here, but would have happily, and comfortably, spent a year.