Arriving in Paris

Tuesday May 26 was another hot day.  High of 32C.  We got to Rotterdam Centraal a bit early so I was able to take a picture of the wonderful sculpture outside the station.  "Moments Contained"  is a nearly four-metres tall bronze sculpture of a young woman created by Thomas J. Price, a British sculptor.  It is about the feeling of being seen as "the other."  The sculpture shows that she is strong and confident but vulnerable at the same time. The artist wanted to have a moment for understanding and empathy with a person even if they are nothing like you.

Thomas Price, Moments Contained, 2023


Farewell to the Cloud


Waiting at the platform-- very calm station

Our train to Paris arrived five minutes before the departure time of 13:58 and we departed one minute early.   The beauty of European trains.  We were on the very fast Eurostar. First stop was Antwerp, only 30 minutes away and then a quick stop at Brussels Midi.   We arrived at Gare du Nord, Paris a few minutes early at 16:40.  Just under three hours to travel through three countries.  We had WIFI on the train and it was an excellent trip.

Arriving at Gare du Nord, Paris
   
We were thrilled that our Navigo Transit Cards that we had from our last trip to Paris in 2024 still worked and we were able to load the card with reduced fare tickets.

We hopped on the Metro and arrived at Belleville station just a few minute walk from our apartment.  We are staying in the 11th arrondisement.   We are on Rue du Faubourg du Temple, in a buzzy multicultural area.  Regis, our host, met us and it turns out he lives in the apartment next to us.   

It is a lovely apartment, very clean, quiet and it has lots of light.  Beautiful wooden floors.  It's just on the first floor (2nd in Canada) which makes it easy to get to.

Bedroom and attached bathroom with big shower

One view of kitchen and living area. Fireplace and mirror


Facing the other way in the living room- small dining area under large window

Lovely courtyard out back where we take our garbage

There is an artisanal bakery beside the door to our apartment building.


After we got settled in, we went for a walk and dinner.

In front of a park area

It turns out we are only about a 20 minute walk from Canal Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement.  We hadn't been to the area since 2011.  The Canal is 2069 metres long.  It is a huge summer gathering place and there were hundreds of people enjoying picnics or drinks beside the Canal with their friends.  Definitely an escape from small, hot apartments.

On the canal

Escaping the heat

There are lots of cafés, restaurants and stores that line the side of the canal and the streets behind.

May Day poster on one wall

We consulted a few foodie sites and discovered good reviews for a popular neighbourhood wine bar and restaurant Le Verre Volé.   It was a small restaurant with wine bottles (also for sale) on the walls and a small outside patio.  We shared a fabulous octopus dish and a Korean flavoured beef dish along with a lovely glass of red wine.
Ah, Paris!

We talked to a Korean man from LA who was in Paris for a meeting.  He was only in the city for one night and said he always came to this wine bar.

He took our picture- a good one!

Outside of the wine bar, just one street in from the Canal

Walking back-- an Anti-Trump poster by the Young Communists

The Canal was even more crowded as we headed back


I liked the I Love Paris T shirt

The 9:40 p.m. sunsets mean that we walked back in daylight and arrived back at the apartment just as the sun was setting.  A great re-orientation to Paris.



Comments

  1. PaulMay 28, 2026 at 9:45 AM

    Toby, fabulous hair. Your trips always sound fabulous. You guys are great travelers. Back home it is occasionally summer and basically lovely.

    ReplyDelete

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