Our cute new table lamp

I actually quite liked the old lamp. Tall. Majestic. Chic. Cost 25 euros. Can't really argue with that.

But one day a couple of weeks ago, the bulb went. At least I thought it had gone. I went to the trouble of buying a new, energy-saving, eco-friendly bulb (15 euros!), and it still didn't work. I tried taking the lamp apart. Impossible. I tried to open the switch unit and plug to see if anything was the matter there. No dice. It was all very solidly moulded together. And utterly, utterly dead.

So there was no choice but to go and buy another lamp. And with guests arriving the next day, it had to be done pronto! Luckily, we have one of Paris's greatest department stores - BHV - just a few minutes away. After wandering round their lighting section getting more and more distraught, I finally came across this adorable fella.

He just happens to be by the same people that make both our overhead lamp in the living room and the little light over the mirror radiator: Artemide. Their stuff is great. And not cheap. But great. But not cheap.

Anyway, it was gold(ish), it was smart, and I was desperate. There you have it. Hope you like it!

Wondering what track was playing on my iPhone during the photo shoot?

Amusingly, it's called Let's Get Intimate! Click here for more info on my music blog.

Our own little Arc de Triomphe

This is one of the reasons that I love love love Paris.

On my bike route between the Great Apartment and my apartment is this impressive edifice, the Porte Saint-Denis, modelled on the Arch of Titus in Rome.  Theirs is 'only' 15 metres high, whereas the our Porte Saint-Denis is 25 metres high, and although Rome's arch dates from 82 AD, ours is pretty damn old too: it was constructed in 1672 and still looks pretty sharp after recently being sandblasted. Hope I'll look this good when I'm 430 years old.

I must say, when the sun hits it from the south side, it is quite breathtaking, and as it's hard to believe that it was once a gate to the city, right on the edge of town...

What I especially like about it is how incongruous it is, a huge arch in the middle of an otherwise fairly ordinary Parisian neighborhood. Some people have apartments that look directly onto it, which probably guarantees either continual amazement or constant shadow.

I also love going down there, not because it's just next to one of my favourite bars, Chez Jeannette, but because it is one of the most improbable endings to any Parisian street that you are likely to see. This is how it looks from the north...

...and to prove that it's been there for a very long time indeed, here's a photo taken from the Albert Kahn archives, showing how it looked - perhaps more regal still - in 1914. I love this photo. I think one day it would be great giant size in the Great Apartment kitchen to replace our yodel-friendly mountain scene.

If you'd like to go and see the Porte Saint-Denis yourself just head north from the Great Apartment on boulevard de Sébastopol or rue Saint Denis (takes about 10 minutes on foot). The former has lots of traffic, the second has quite a grizzly collection of ancient (but harmless) hookers. Your choice.

You'll also find a few more photos here on my Flickr account.

Abruzze. Yummy Italian-ness. And Corsican-ness. And Spanish-ness.

Being in the centre of town, there are many, many eating options near the Great Apartment (click here to see a few), and although Abruzze isn't a restaurant, it might be a good option for a snack at lunchtime. Each day, they make up fresh sandwiches with different Italian meats (or Corsican, or Spanish), and you can add an Italian cake and a drink for 7.50€, which isn't expensive.

You can eat in if you want, or perhaps take your mini meal to the nearby Jardin Anne Frank.

The store also has plenty of other sliced meats, cheeses and dry foods that look rather yummy. If you're in Paris and don't have time to pop down to Italy or Spain, you could just buy all the food here!

They also have an enticing selection of wine and drinks, perfect for taking back to the Great Apartment. Everything you need for l'apéritif!

Abruzze is at 33 rue de Montmorency (just turn left out of the apartment and you'll see it on the opposite pavement before you get to the main road). As they say on their sign, Buon appetito :-)

Quick help needed with Google

I few months back I went to the trouble of registering the Great Apartment on Google Maps, but I didn't realise that this would also make it show up in Google searches (a handy bonus).

Not only do we turn up, but - in France at least - we are the first result on the first page! That means that if you type Great Apartment Paris and click "I'm feeling lucky", you're directed immediately to our site. Kinda cool.

However, I know that Google results can vary from country to country. Could our loyal readers from abroad try typing Great Apartment Paris into Google and leave a comment to say whether we are top of the list in your country too? I'm curious to know... Thanks!