PARIS – the frustration continues
Thursday – after our abomination of an overnight trip – we arrive in Paris hungry, unwashed and not in the best of humour. Hopefully things will improve and we will enjoy our stay in the City of Light.
After our friendly encounter with the Artesia fellow on the platform we head off for the local Metro station which will take us to where we have to collect our keys for our apartment. Staying true to form we find the platform OK but when we launch ourselves back into the Paris daylight – we soon get lost. It is about 11.30am and as you can understand all we want to do is find our home and get something to eat – but alas it is not to be.
We find the little shop front for the Estate Agent but the only thing that greets us is a lot of little post office size boxes. We had been given a code for our apartment so that we can retrieve our keys – but – the box is empty. There is a sign that reads keys will be available at 4pm. Oh great. I am really beginning to wonder how this part of the Europe trip is going to unfold.
Unfortunately there is nowhere to securely leave our luggage – just a communal area – so we are loathe to leave our belongings and return at 4pm. The three of us take up residence and try to get some shut eye but then more people arrive looking just as unkempt as us.
This is enough for Kylie who heads off to find coffee and maybe food.
This place is beginning to look like some sort of shelter for the homeless. More people arrive and now the tiny little office is packed with people either sitting on the couple of chairs or laying on the floor. We all agree that this is not the best way to run an apartment service especially when you have been travelling all night with no sleep and all you want to do is have a hot shower and crawl into a nice comfortable bed.
Finally the estate agent arrives and after being bailed up, he tells us that he will see if our apartment is ready. By the look in Kylie’s eyes I hope it is for his sake.
Good news – the place is ready so off we go. Arriving at our apartment we are confronted by a dirty big door that is number coded so that we can get in. Unfortunately we do not have the code but the Asian lady in the shop next door knows it (does she live in the same block?) and we head off to the elevator which is the size of a sardine can. Never mind we are nearly there.
We open the door and find a very nice apartment.
Two bedrooms, one with en suite – kitchen – bathroom – large living area so all is good. We decide to leave unpacking and go back out to find some food.
Maybe everything will work out OK. After all – tomorrow is another day!
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