Now That's More Like It

Ah...what a difference a day makes.

I got out quite a bit earlier this morning, stepping into the cool morning air, and seeing a very different sight from yesterday. Gone was the uniform overcast of hier, and here comes the sun. It's alright. In addition to the sky smiling upon me, this was to be quite a different day from yesterday.

Sure, there was the long walk, but only 5, not 20, miles this time
Sure, there was the walk to Le Bon Marché, but it was open this time
Sure, there was a walk past the digicam store, FNAC, but it too was open



Per my registered and recorded PlanForTheDay(tm), I was to go by the Michel Cluizel chocolatier on Rue Faubourg de Saint Honore (yes, the one mentioned in While You Were Sleeping) to take a picture of their dark chocolate fountain at the request of Monsieur Bob, of Say Cheese fame (on Cole Street in SF).

So, monsieur Bob...Voila!

Savoring my sense of accomplishment and perhaps pushing my luck a little, I thought I'd take another shot at walking to Le Bon Marche. It really is a treat to walk around Paris on a bright and sunny autumnal day, so I chose a route that would take me past the Louvre, across the river, and up Rue du Bac, where my favorite eyeglass shop, Les Opticiens du Bac, was. Sadly, it appeared to be no more. I had bought glasses there with Katy just last year, and before that had bought 2 other pair over the years, so it created a brief pang of loss for one of the few traditions I had established between me and mon Paree.

I made it to Le Bon Marché, but after all that hoopla to get there, it looked too chi-chi for my dollar-based budget, so I just walked next door to their Dean&Deluca-like Epicerie (high-end grocery) and walked around. Oh yum. Might have to go back there with my classmates.

As I was doing all of this walking around I would pass one real estate office after another, their windows plastered with bright white 8 1/2x11 sheets, each with a single picture, pitching various flats for sale or rent. As I looked at these pretty apartments, it got me to thinking about Real Estate. Given my new choice of profession (no, not Cooking), I thought it might be worthwhile commenting un peu about the real estate market in Paris.

Certainly there is no end to the number of charming old structures with gorgeous dark wood hand-hewn beams or handsome rough and ancient stone walls. What is rare, however, and my little rental apartment stands in testimony to this, is space.

These moderate-sized apartment buildings have been divvied up into tiny spaces, each often 250 to 300 sq. ft. - a size probably half that of a typical San Francisco apartment with the same number of rooms. Everything is small (well, not exactly everything, I suppose).

My TV? 12"
My bathroom? 4'x4'
My Bedroom? Enough room for a full-size bed and 18" extra on 2 sides

We're talkin' tie-knee.

And my apartment isn't the exception, it's absolutely the rule. As I look at those real estate ads in the windows of rhose sales offices, it's clear that per square foot, Paris is just about double the cost of San Francisco. Thus while most San Francisco properties sell for a pretty rich $750 to $1000/sft, most Parisien properties sell for $1500-$2000/sft.

Oo-la-la!