Arrondissements/ Districts in Paris

When choosing accomodation in Paris you really need to see a map of the city and work out which arrondissement is going to suit your "tourist" needs.

Arrondissement 1:

This is the historic district where The Louvre lives on the Right Bank of the Seine. This is the centre and a great place to stay, you can walk to alot of the tourist sites from here.

Arrondissement 2:

This is the business district (not as touristi, but quiet and more affordable accomodation).

Arrondissement 3:

You will find the Musee Picasso in this district.

Arrondissement 4:

The Marais district is Medieval Paris, the area you will find Notre Dame, St Chapelle and
the Conciergerie.

Arrondissement 5:

The Latin Quarter is beautiful and quiet. It is very a very pretty area (I visited a friend staying in this area). Jardin des Plantes is in this area it includes a museum and zoo. The park Jardin des Plantes has lovely tree lined avenues.

Arrondissement 6:

St. Germain. Once the hangout for bohemians and intellectuals, this neighborhood has undergone gentrification and is now one of the most expensive in Paris. Trendy upscale boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants can be found throughout this district.

Arrondissement 7:

The Eiffel Tower is in this area. Alot of retirees and international residents stay in this area.

Arrondissement 8:

This upscale neighborhood is in fact quite diverse. The area around Champs Elysèe, has lots of shopping and lots of tourists, while in the area to the East, between the Champs Elysee and Place de la Madeleine you will find a mixture of 19th century buildings intermingled with businesses. This area is in someways similar to parts of the 16th, but is generally less pretentious.
You will find Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Cartier and other fashion stores.

Arrondissement 9:

A diverse residential area popular among an artistic crowd. The Southern portion is similar to the 2nd arrondissement, with a mix of residential and business buildings. The Paris Opera is located here. Farther North is Pigalle, the fading Red Light district as well as the famous Moulin Rouge.

This is the area I stayed in with my family, we found it a little daunting at first but then fell in love with the area. Heading up to Montemartre area you will see the "real" Paris.

Arrondissement 10:

The two great train stations in Paris are here, the Gare de l'Est and the Gare du Nord. This multi-cultural neighborhood also contains a bohemian element. The cafes and restaurants along the Canal St Martin make it a popular destination for both Parisians and tourists.

Arrondissement 11:

Place de la Bastille and the New Opera are found here. This is a primarily residential district.

Arrondissement 12:

Residential neighborhood bordered on the east by the Bois de Vincennes ( a nice park ).

Arrondissement 13:

Residential neighborhood, as well as Paris' Chinatown.

Arrondissement 14:

Montparnasse and the Cité Universitaire are found in this residential district traditionally known for its lively cafés and restaurants around the Blvd. Montparnasse.

Arrondissement 15:

This large primarily residential neighborhood ranges from very upscale in the area bordering the 7th arrondissement and the Seine, to relatively safe and affordable in the more outlying areas.

Arrondissement 16:

Bois de Boulogne, Trocadero. Although it is not as exclusive as the 7th arrondissement, the 16th is widely regarded as the neighborhood for the wealthy.

Bois de Boulogne is a gorgeous very large park with lakes and cafes and a water park. I recommend hiring a bicycle here to see everything (look for the horses, rabbits, ducks and squirrels).

Arrondissement 17:

This diverse district really contains more than one neighborhood, with the portion, in the west, near the Arc de Triomph and Parc Monceau, being very upscale.

Arrondissement 18:

Montmartre. This artsy residential neighborhood situated at the top of a hill overlooking Paris has a small village feel. The view across Paris from the Sacre Coeur church is breathtaking and the nearby Place de Tertre is a popular tourist destination.

This is a "must see" area and the Sacre Coeur church is so beautiful. The view from this hilltop position is wonderful.

Arrondissement 19:

The Parc des Buttes Chaumont. A residential neighborhood with many ethnic restaurants and shops. Parce de la Villette is located here with its Cité des Sciences et de L'Industrie museum and cultural center.

Arrondissement 20:

Belleville and the Père-Lachaise cemetery. An outlying residential area that is becoming yuppified.

One night in Pisa

13-14 September 2010

We arrived in Pisa after our flight from Paris at about 11.30pm so we hailed a cab at the airport and went to our hotel for the night. We decided to spend a night in Pisa because we thought it would be too difficult to catch a train at 1am and walk from Florence Santa Maria Novella Station at 2.30am to our apartment. So we booked a room at a hotel near Pisa Centrale. When we arrived at the hotel the concierge said he did not have a reservation for us and he was fully booked for the night. (Grrrrr) I was not happy and my computer would not load up quickly enough for me to show him the email I got saying we had a reservation. Anyway the concierge called another hotel nearby and got us the same deal with breakfast (apparently we were saving 30euros). So with 2 cranky and tired children we gathered up our luggage and walked (yes, walked) from the hotel at least 250m down the road, turn left at the piazza and look for the sign saying Minerva Hotel. The least the concierge could’ve done at that time of night (now midnight) was pay for a taxi to take us. I know 250m doesn’t sound like it far but at that time of night with 2 children and 3 suitcases and a backpack it is not fun. (GRRR).

Anyway the new hotel was very nice and spacious and we had a lovely breakfast when we woke. We walked to the train Station and bought tickets through the self service machine. It costs around 6euro each for adults and 3 euros each for children 4-11years old. So if you are staying in Florence and you want to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa (without paying 100euros each for a tour) you can visit Pisa in a day by train to Pisa Centrale and use the Red line bus to get to the Leaning Tower (this way will cost less than 100euros for the family). There are trains going to and from Pisa Centrale to Florence all the time.

After a 1 - 1.30 hour train ride we were back ‘home’ in our apartment in Florence. And happy to be back in familiar surroundings and the comfort of home. Although very sad to be out of Paris.

We spent a few days relaxing at home in Florence before packing our swimmers and bags for the Cinque Terre.

in 2 weeks we will be in KL

I can't believe we will be in Kuala Lumpur in exactly 2 weeks. How the time has flown, it will probably go just as fast while we are on holiday and we will be back just as fast as we left. Hopefully it won't be too fast!
I have been given $$$ by many people to buy bits and pieces from different markets we may go to. I am excited to bring back some lovely fabrics, buttons and maybe even a doctors bag for a special someone. Just remember if you give me some money and the items are too heavy for my luggage I will use some of the money to post the item to you. So think about how much you want to hand over. :-)... if I can't spend money on myself at least I will have fun shopping for everyone else.
Iain wants to buy a Ferrarri cap for himself (he may buy one as a pressie for someone else), the boys want to see Pompeii and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. For some reason Levi really wants to go to Spain (He may have seen a doco or something on fox). I would love to be able to take him but we will see how the budget goes.
Speaking of budgets, when this trip is over and we actually do it on our budget I may start up a new blog on how to travel overseas (particularly in Europe) with kids on a small budget.
I think that sort of blog could really open some eyes and some people who believe they can't do it might see a glimmer of hope and give it a go. Just be BRAVE!!!