Couleurs Soleil B & B

Couleurs Soleil is a home away from home - although unlike my home, in that when I walked into Couleurs Soleil I found myself immediately seated at a large dining room table with an espresso in hand and being introduced to Sylvie, the owner, her friend Elizabeth who also has an apartment on Cross-Pollinate, her two male friends Alain and Patrice (also with properties to rent), and her lovely cat and dog - all of whom were warm, boisterous and friendly. The rest of the afternoon was spent chatting in Italian with Patrice and in my broken French to the others, jumping from apartment to apartment, each small snippet of her friend's life like a scene that should be seen on stage - ending at Daniel's (of Studio Malte) and a beer and a kitchen full of profiteroles waiting to be taken to a party...

But, back to Coueurs Soleil and Sylvie's guestrooms: I was happy to be there before I even saw the rooms. This was just the way Sylvie made me feel. I'd come in tired and anxious and her and her friends just effortlessly rubbed off their characteristic joie de vivre on me. The place is neither shabby nor extravagant. It is cozy and full of objects from Sylvie's travels, many of which are from north Africa, which in many ways have inspired the decor of the two guestrooms. It feels like staying at a friend or relative's house, which is exactly what a B & B should feel like. The two rooms are located on either side of a little common living room and both share a single bathroom and separate toilet (typical of French apartments). Although I can't guarantee you the profiteroles, or the beer, I am sure that their theatre-like lives are not rehearsed!

About the area:

The 11th Arrondissement is one of the most densely populated quarters of Paris. Located on the right bank (North side) of the Siene, it borders the 3rd and 4th Arrondissement to the West and the 20th to the North East. Comprised of various sub-neighborhoods that are often described as up and coming, trendy, and "bobo" a mix of bourgeois and bohème. Although common for guides to comment on the variety of bars and restaurants in any particular Arrondissement, this is especially true for the 11th. The various neighborhoods create a mix of calm, residential streets and large, lively boulevards, as well as parks and a strong feeling of "local" community. It does not feel populated mostly by tourists as the areas closer to the Louvre and the Marais can, nor does it feel away from the action or that you're sacrificing being in the "center" of the city. There are also many notable sites in the 11th, such as the Place de la République, and the Opera Bastille. There's also an Edith Piaf museum and the long outdoor market at Blvd. Richard-Lenoir. The area around Oberkampf is trendier, more on the bohemian side, and a good bet for small cafés and restaurants. Just outside the 11th you have the Marais to the West and the Père-Lachaise cemetery to the East. There are many major Metro station and buses so the rest of Paris is very accessible.