Valerie's an excellent host.

Prior to our arrival, Valerie provided clear and precise directions on how to get to her apartment from Gare du Nord station. (We arrived at Paris via Eurostar after ending our 7-day family vacation in London.) So locating her apartment was a breeze.

We were warmly welcomed by Valerie upon arrival. I fell in love with her apartment right away. It's very bright and clean. She showed us around her apartment and patiently explained how to operate the oven, washing machine, dryer, TV, etc. Typed out instructions on laminated sheets were left for us at the computer table just in case we forgot how to operate the machines. Maps were readily available for reference. Fresh clean towels were provided. She even had biscuits and other food stuff stocked up in the kitchen and the fridge. She went on to recommend some bakeries and eateries around the vicinity. Even after she has taken her leave, she was so sweet to drop me an iPhone message to provide a website in English to help us locate restaurants to dine in. Bakeries are just a stone's throw away so we had fresh bread and pastries for breakfast almost every day.

The day before our departure, Valerie left yet another phone message to advise us on how to get to the airport from her apartment. I appreciate how Valerie has gone the extra mile to make sure that we get from point to point in Paris with ease. It was a pity that we could not meet to say our goodbyes as she was busy at work. She trusted us to just leave the house keys in the apartment and shut the door behind us.

My family and I enjoyed our stay at Valerie's duplex thoroughly. Great location, great amenities, great neighbourhood. We'll definitely be back at the apartment should we visit Paris again.