One benefit of renting an apartment is that you really feel you are a part of the neighborhood. I adore going to all manner of French stores, open-air markets, cheese shops, charcuteries, bakeries, meat markets, fish sellers, flower markets, chocolate shops and wine stores. Even the supermarkets fascinate me.
All of the above were within a 10-minute walk of our apartment, and thanks to our capacious fridge, we could purchase all we wanted. The first morning, I went down early to the open-air market at place Maubert Mutualité, bought a black beret for 10 Euros, and wore it every day, just for extra authenticity.
The problem of the downstairs door resolved itself when we picked up our extra keys waiting for us inside the apartment, but the second door, the one to the apartment, obligingly picked up where the other door had left off; it started to refuse to let us in. Through much time spent praying the lock would open and the timed light in the hall wouldn't go off, we learned to unlock and relock the door until it finally let us in. That is one thing you learn very quickly about a rented apartment: It doesn't come with a concierge.
