I have nothing but positive things to say about Sophie’s home and qualities as a host. The house itself is situated in a pleasant working-class suburb of Paris with all the usual perks that come attached – a thrice-weekly market, lots of independent food stores, kebab shops etc. It’s also perfectly connected to the city centre (about 35-40 minutes to the Louvre) and is itself very close to less prominent tourist attractions, like the Parc de la Villette, the Buttes-aux-Chaumont or the macabre Musee des Moulages. Inside, the house is stylishly decorated and incredibly liveable, besides coming equipped with a very amusing cat. Sophie and her family are also terrific hosts – generous with conversation, wine and whatever’s growing in their garden; willing both to chat and to respect your space and privacy; and inspirational in their effortless attitude to life. Suffice it to say that by the end of our stay we too were sleeping in late and eating dinner at 9. Having stayed in a number of apartments in Paris within this price range, I can confirm that Sophie’s is by far the best.