Friday, June 23, 2006

Rue Vavin - Paris 75006

Rue Vavin, in the 6th eme is where I just spent almost 3 whole weeks. It felt more like 3 wonderful months. I've been lucky to visit Paris many times, but I never spent a chunk of time there until May '06. "My" street is one lane and because there are so few cars, it often becomes a pedestrian street. The number #58 bus does comes up rue Vavin and there are 2 Metro stops close by - VAVIN & NOTRE-DAME DES CHAMPS. At the other end is an entrance to the Jardin du Luxembourg.
This kitchen belongs to my friend, Christiane, in Anglet near Biarritz.
This is my rue Vavin kitchen inside a sort of closet...
And inside the kitchen closet, 17" up, the shower. I went to the pool initially till I figured it out. It worked just fine - lots of hot water and good pressure.
This work table is where I painted. But I often moved to the floor because I like to spread out and the Murphy bed was up during the day.The chocolate candy box and chocolate macaron here come from Jean-Paul Hévin down the street at #3, rue Vavin. The chocolatiere is from La Vaissellerie on rue de Rennes.
This window gave the best light a still life painter could dream of - almost Vermeer
light - soft, bluish, top-lite and back-lite, low contrast light came in from the court yard. I miss this Paris lumiere most of all.

7 comments:

  1. perfect petite apartment...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous4:16 PM

    xiane is very proud to see her kitchen in your blog. The whole world is going to know now!
    XXX
    JP

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous4:20 PM

    love today's post and think it captures Paris perfectly. Spent a couple of months in Hotel du Danemark on rue Vavin in '72 before finally getting a sublet opp. Now the hotel looks all slick and is expensive but back then there was only a bath in the basement, which I economised on as it cost extra - once a week! In fact your place reminds me of the apt. I ended up with - it had a shower stall in the kitchen with extremely limited hot water supply. The kitchen had a sink & a double burner and that was it! :)
    Viviv

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Viv-what a great story of old Paris! Thanks for sharing.BTW I did not have a double burner, just one of those electric hot water jugs for making tea. Most times I made hot chocolate in it - that's my essential morning drink. I think I got all traces of milk out of it...

    Hi Eurobrat..petit studio might be more accurate, since it was just 1 room, 1 window, 1 pull-down bed etc. Whatever I'd call it, it was delightful & I'd swap my U.S. 2-bedroom, large living room w/ 3 windows & large kitchen with long hallway in an instant for that room with the perfect light!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous11:10 PM

    Oh ! Magnifique ! I send your blog to my charming “cuisiniste” at Bordeaux (Boutique Bulthaup named “Futur Intérieur”). He is realy very content and “flatté”. It’s a good publicity for him.
    Your blog is beautifull all the time.XXX Xiane

    ReplyDelete
  6. I live in a "petite studio" also- one small bedroom and kitchen- but it is perfect and I think of it as a quiet little pod in the middle of a chaotic city. If only that city was Paris!

    ReplyDelete
  7. eurobrat - I didn't want to say publicly, but here I can. The WC/bathroom was in the hall. I had my own key & it was completely mine. But I'd still swap whatever for that small piece of Paris any day of the week :)

    ReplyDelete

Love hearing from you