First 24 hours in Paris

Out the window

After two great flights on Iceland Air we landed in Paris, our plans were all set to jump on the train and head to our apartment where we would rest and then head out for wine and cheese. Our travel luck had to come to an end at some point so why not the Charles de Gaulle airport. Nothing says welcome to Paris like a 3 hour power outage with nothing more than an announcement to remain calm as we waited for our bags. By the time the power came back on and I fought my way through 4 other flights of passengers who just knew their baggage would certainly arrive before mine, the Dunn-Waters team was in need of some serious sleep. As we made our way to the train area we were approached by...wait for it, yes you guessed it a taxi driver. He offered us the world, reminded us the train station was offsite and how bad rush hour traffic was now that it was almost 5 so like the typical American tourist we paid the $100 fare..and I would do it again!!

Our apartment in the Rue Saint-Maur area is darling, its tucked between a wine shop and a bar in a very hip and culturally diverse neighborhood. We have shopped the local grocery store, taking 5 minutes to figure out what was milk and what was cream, oh and dont even get me started on eggs as there were so many choices. Dinner was a simple Parisian meal consisting of Brie, a baguette, spicy olives, peppered salami and a bottle of Bordeaux..it was pure heaven.
There was no argument from the Dunn-Waters team about going to bed even though the sun was still up (sunset is around 9:50pm) I literally think we were all asleep before we even got into bed, a futon never felt so amazing. Morning came quickly but was just fine as we were excited to explore our neighborhood and I was itching to get to my first outdoor market. We navigated pretty good,only had to ask directions twice, dodged a few cars as apparently here pedestrians dont have the right away. The market was amazing, so many fresh items to choose from, advise go there with a plan or you too can walk 2.5 miles with a watermelon and a kilo (2.2 pounds) of oranges and tomatoes.
The day ended with a final trip to the boulangerie where I learned that a traditional baguette although tasty is not the economical way to go but it paired nicely with our pasta primavera, salad and watermelon (all purchased at the market for under $6) and it wouldn't be a French meal without a glass of wine.

Someone's tired

Spiral Staircase

Marche' Charonne

Drying dishes inside the cupboard 

French butter