We had the pleasure of being Mat and Pierrette’s first guests 4 days after they moved into their home. (We found out, after we arrived-I though it was very brave of them.) Mat, Pierrette and Leslie were pleasant, helpful and supportive in making our stay enjoyable. My sister and I were very comfortable around them enjoying their company. They are easy going & inviting & there was a lot of laughter during our visit. Since our stay was 3 weeks, we got to know them well. Mat is a gold mine of info about restaurants, wine, history & the Geography of Paris (France in general) with interesting touristy and non-touristy places to visit. He was always doing something to improve his home & checking in with us (& the other guests who stayed for a few nights) to make sure we were warm enough & if there was anything we needed. Our favorite outdoor market in the 19th comes together on Thursday and Sunday, only a few blocks from their home. (Pierrette knows where it is, we all went together a couple times.) Leslie generously accompanied us, our first Saturday to show us some things around Paris. She and Pierrette speak English very well and were supportive in my attempts at proper French pronunciation. After Matao warmed up to us, we also had the pleasure of his company and tutoring. :) Location is very convenient. Metro only a 40 second walk (I timed it)& inexpensive. The Velib’ (bike sharing system) and Autolib’ (car sharing system) short walk. Two open markets happening twice a week- fresh produce, cheese, meats and souvenirs, are conveniently close. We found the neighborhood very friendly. The McDonald’s across the street has free Wifi (which is very nice) works often. (We were unable to access the internet at the house because there was a problem with it for our entire stay.) Plenty of shopping close by, or restaurants if you don’t want to cook. The washer was very convenient (we used our own laundry soap), made it feel like home. The dryer, a hanging rack that's set up when needed, was adequate. Staying in the basement is very cozy and feels very family like, since it is necessary to walk through the Master bedroom to get to the basement. It is also necessary for family members to travel through the room we slept in to get to the other rooms in the basement and access clothing stored there. We found earplugs helpful to block some of the noise from the metal spiral staircase (squeaky when used) and the noise from the upstairs bedroom at night. Sleep Eye Masks were helpful to block out light when we wanted to sleep in mornings. The family gets up early, beginning 5:45am. Their home is beautiful & they seem to enjoy sharing it with their guests. We enjoyed being part of their family for a little while & look forward to seeing our new friends the next time we travel to...