Les Voyageurs en Paris

Well the planes all took off when they were due to, and arrived where they were meant to. Judith and Chris flew from Melbourne to Singapore in seven hours, then Singapore to Paris in another fourteen hours, arriving just after 7 AM. Ted and LouAnne flew down from Reykjavik after nine wonderful days in Iceland. We all arrived at our rented townhouse in Paris a few hours apart.
After a lot of internet research Judith had found a townhouse in Central Paris in the 7th Arrondissment. It is a few hundred metres from the Seine, in one of the old quarters. There are foreign embassies and consulates sprinkled among the everyday shops and townhouses, all with high walla and security guards outside, and some with groups of protesters carrying placards.
The roads are narrow and crowded with cars and pedestrians. All buildings have a maximum height of five floors. Our accommodation is typical of most in the area – a U shaped arrangement with an open courtyard. We enter through a huge wooden door into the courtyard, and our apartment is at the back on the ground floor. There are twelve apartments all told, with students in some, suits in others, and a nice little old lady in another. Our apartment has two bedrooms with en suites, a full kitchen, and lovely lounge room with comfortable designer and antique furniture.
Like all buildings in the area it is made from natural stone, with thick walls, and has the look and feel of centuries of life. Last night we cooked a nice simple pasta for dinner, and shared some French wine. As weary travellers we went to bed early. The night was unbelievably quiet. With the thick-walled buildings and surrounding diplomats being typically discrete it was as quiet as being in isolated country. The only thing missing is birdsong.
Yesterday all four of us went for a random stroll down to the Seine. Today we will do some more-planned walking, and visit some galleries.
Chris