Goodbye pastures and forests, goodbye farmhouse life in Normandy. Hello crowds and tiny apartment of Paris. Unlike the gentle sleep-inducing ride of the sleek fast trains we’d taken before, the train from Caen to Paris rattled and shook you for two hours of minimal comfort.
We were used to the orderly roundabouts of the countryside that kept the traffic smooth. Our Paris taxi took us on a hair-raising ride through roundabouts full of cars going random directions, left turns from the right lane, and crazy motor scooters everywhere. We were glad we had left the rental car in the countryside.
We got settled in our typically tiny apartment and then explored the neighborhood, a mix of narrow alleys, funky shops, and 17th-century mansions. We walked by the Place des Vosges, a lovely park surrounded by 17th-century houses and found the local market and bakery. We’re settled in for the rest of the trip.
We walked to a nearby square with several restaurants and enjoyed a three-course meal sitting on rickety chairs on the square. Kristen had her first taste of escargot.