Wow, what a fantastic place to use as a base for our Paris adventures. I could write a novel about how good Raph and Federica's place is, but I will try and keep this short. We, (my wife and I and two kids 6 + 8) have just finished staying 7 nights at this apartment. The lovely Federica met us at the apartment and was able to explain how everything works and gave us a document with plenty of great ideas for sights and eating places and other Paris ideas.
The location of the apartment is brilliant. It was so good, that unfortunately for my kids, we could walk just about everywhere. They did a lot of walking. The area around the apartment is very close to the Metro and the Gare de Lyon. Also, all around the apartment are heaps of cafes, restaurants and bakeries. There are also plenty of cool shops in the area as well.
On the first full day we did the walking loop on Raph's suggestions and we were able to walk down Rue de Rivoli and see Notre Dame, Ile de la Cite and plenty of other sights.
The other discovery I made was the Place Des Vosges which is a gorgeous little park with classic French apartments around the outside. I went running through there most mornings and it is magnificent with the autumn leaves and perfectly symmetrical trees.
The apartment itself is great. It has a VERY comfortable fold out bed that my wife and I shared. It also has a little loft area where the kids slept which was very compact and the perfect space for them. We could also close the door so we had our own space as well.
The apartment is stocked with a huge variety of food stuffs like tea and coffee, cooking oils and pans and crackers, jams and all kinds of other things. In the shower was some lovely soap and other creams and lotions. Having an oven, a dishwasher and a washing machine in the apartment was also fantastic. Another highlight is the collection of interesting art and posters all around the place.
We loved Raph and Federica's place so much that if we ever come back to Paris, we would definitely want to stay in this apartment again. It really is like living in your own home.
Just like Paris, Raph and Federica's place est magnifique.