Our ten day visit to Paris over the Christmas holiday was made perfect by our stay in the beautiful apartment offered by Phoenice. She was there to greet us and make us feel welcome. This apartment is ideally situated and is an easy and glorious walk to Notre Dame, Le Jardin du Luxembourg, the Pantheon, the Sorbonne, Ile Saint-Louis (our family calls it "Ice Cream Island"), the Louvre, and countless cafes and shops. The weather was very cooperative during our stay and we were able to adventure out on longer walks to the Sacre-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre and the Eiffel Tower which I highly recommend. Seeing the city from the streets is enchanting and delicious! Evening strolls along the Seine and stopping for rich chacolat chaud was a nightly ritual.
Our last trip to Paris was during the summer and the crowds were intimidatingly long at many of the museums, churches, and cafes and, as we were staying at a hotel and not an apartment, we didn't have the luxury of a kitchen and a place to decompress. On this trip we were resolved to do things differently and I'm so glad we did. The crowds that are present during the summer months are virtually non-existent in the winter and Paris is stunning in her Christmas Coat. Phoenice's apartment gave us a place to drop our shopping bags, get a quick recovery rest, plan our next adventure and head back out on the super clean and brightly lit city streets. My wife and I were joined by our daughters (21 and 23 yrs old) who were just as impressed and comfortable as we were, thanks to a nice wi-fi connection!
This apartment is close to everything, beautifully appointed and impeccably clean, very secure, and hosted by a gracious and generous host. What more could anyone ask?