Many other photos available. Ah, Le Marais?, the old narrow streets, barely wide enough for the width of a car, that navigate through 400 years of 17th century Paris. The Marais, a mélange of hip boutiques along the Rue des Francs Bourgeois, the Jewish ghetto of the Rue des Rossiers that dates back to the 13th century and some of the trendiest cafes, brasseries and restaurants in all of Paris. This cross section of ethnic cultures and Renaissance Parisian architecture is home to the Museé Picasso, the Museé Carnavalet and the grandest of all old squares in Paris, the Place des Vosges, a masterpiece of brick facades and harmonious stone arches. Our newly renovated (April 2004), non-smoking, two bedroom, two bathroom apartment on the Rue des Tournelles is just a three minute walk from the Place des Vosges. This 825 square foot apartment, on the first floor (second floor American with elevator) of a 19th century "Regency" building has been lovingly renovated and restored. The old herringbone floors shine as they reflect the light from the floor to ceiling windows. The grand plaster molding sits majestically atop the 11?6? high walls, and a gold leaf Napolean III mirror once again hangs above the 19th century marble mantel of the living room. What a joy to wake up to coffee and croissants at the slate counter-top of our open style, fully equipped kitchen. Or, after shopping for delicacies at the amazing outdoor market near Place Bastille on Rue Richard Lenoir (an 8 minute walk from our apartment), you can serve a grand meal at the dining room table. We?ve put a lot of time and love into this renovation and restoration, no Ikea here. We?ve spent months researching and buying everything from the lighting fixtures to the state of the art air conditioning system to the micro-suede sleeper couch. There is a ?very comfortable? large queen sized (160cm/63" wide) mattress in the master bedroom and large (90cm/35.5"wide) twin mattresses in the 2nd bedroom which can also be made into a (180cm/71" wide) king size bed. Both bedrooms look out onto a very quiet courtyard. The 11 sq ft shower of the master bathroom is a delightful comfort, and the 1920?s ?metro? tiles help evoke a wonderful retro feel to the otherwise contemporary second full bathroom. Everything was chosen for design and practicality, from the Miele washer-dryer to the LCD television to the ?code free? DVD player. Even the quilts are hypoallergenic white Hungarian goose down. Everything is top notch, right down to the large black and white landscape photographs by American artist, Stuart Rome. Services included in the cost; local phone calls, cable TV with CNN, BBC and lots of English movie stations, free and unlimited high speed WIFI internet, lots of linens and towels and the final cleaning. Our bilingual associate will not only meet you at the apartment to give you the keys, she?ll stay and walk you through the particulars of the appliances. And, she?ll just be a phone call away if you need any help during your stay. In the apartment will also be our guide to the neighborhood, favorite rest!urants, cafese2C wine shops, bakeries, and markets. You could spend a week in Paris and never leave Le Marais, even though the Seine, the Louvre, Notre Dame and the Museé D?Orsay are just a short walk away. If you are looking for more room, we also have a wonderful studio apartment on the ground floor, perhaps for a teenager, au pair or guest. We refer to it as ?le petit bijoux? or the ?little jewel?. This 250 square foot jewel, recently showcased on the Parisian TV magazine show ?Paris Premiere?, is one flight below the two bedroom apartment and if you rent both places, we will work out a package price.