The following are a few excerpts from my visitors book. I hope that I can make your vacation in Paris as memorable. Jill and Myron Many thanks for all of your efforts in making our trip to Paris a true dilight.We were so impressed by all of your "follow up" work when we were corresponding by e mail in prepartaion for this trip. The walking tour was a delight. I can't wait to come back and take another. Your Paris Insight brings the city and its history alive. That tour made the other excursions that we did on our own even more meaningful. The apartment was a home away from home- a safe haven for weary travelers. Our every need was attended to. We will miss Paris and we will miss you...However we will be back all but not soon enough. Karen Erazo and Pat Pauls ( Minneapolis, MN) The little apartment at 170 Av Ledru Rollin has been our refuge at the end of each day over zealous, sight seeing itinerary ! What a treat it's been to have such a lovely home away from home. The perfect view of the Eiffel Tower was the "piece de résistence" as we were so surprised to see it slimmering every hour during our stay. Thanks for your friendly suggestions, directions and friendship during our stay. Erin Blackman (Florida) Of everything that you have done for my mother and I on our vacation in Paris, I want to thank you the most for perspective. You, along with your vivacious personality have enabled me to love the city, that I already adored, even more. In additon to all that, I learned from your tour of Montparnasse. Many of my literary and artistic heroes, along with their creations came to life. As you already know I have a plan to return to Paris for education purposes.When I am here in the near future it would mean so much to me to visit you for café, thé or perhaps oysters (let me treat you this time). Merci beaucoup !   Jake Kirsh "LA PETITE MADAME" There once was a mysterious little French woman You ask, how do I know ? I could tell by her voyce, when she asked : is that you, Mary Jo ? She appeared in a while, said bonjour with a smile, She showed us our room. This is this, that is that... Boom, Boom, Boom, au revoir, till tomorrow. She took us on a tour, plus showed us where to go, Mostly you will walk, other times take the metro. Paris is wonderful, she said, as she showed us the Cité, as she told us of French history We went and saw EIFFEL...OH, what a tower ! The Seine, Notre Dame, the Chateau, the D'Orsay, I can certainly say, oui ! But of all the paintings, shops and restaurants, that make Paris the grande cité it is, I will never forget "La petite Madame" who gave us her heart and her soul au revoir et merci Marie Louise & Geoffrey Parmer (Florida) We had a wonderful time on our honeymoon. The highlights was the walking tour we took with Virginia. There is so much to Paris that you will never see as a tourist unless you know where to look. We will treasure our memories of Paris and the apartment for the rest of our lives. Much thanks to Virginia and her astonishing knowledge of history. The Parkers(Dave,Bridget,Rachel, Sam) Nevada We can't thank you enough for the wonderful time. Our apartment was perfect, a piece of paradise. The view was spectacular and it sure beats the view back in Reno (the casino + lights of the world). Since it is Rachel + Sams first time in Paris it made a great first impression. Close to everything, including a "crÈpe" stand. Monoprix was excellent and it is right next door. The light show the Eiffel Tower does every hour for 5 min is great and the views spectacular ! We definetely plan to return and will recommend your apartment to all. Megan and Roger Bland Paris is the most wonderful place on the planet earth ! I am so glad that we found your place to truly be able to experience Paris life ande become absorbed in day to day happenings. Nothing can do Paris justice. There are no movies, photographs of paintings that truly capture its essence. One MUST come to Paris to learn about it and to experience it. It seems to me that people truly enjoy life here. They take the time to stop and smell the roses. They enjoy a good cup of coffee or wine and they speak wth friends face to face. Perhaps it is unusual, but I never once heard anyone scream at anyone else. I never heard a parent scould their child. I never saw any act of violence or viscious name calling. Paris seems to be the epitomy of civilization. It is a lovely and wonderful place to be, to see, to eat, to relax and to be in love. Thanks to you we enjoyed Paris from inside out and "Paris Insight" Winifred Moranville (Des Moines, IA) We have been to Paris quite a few times before, but this is the first time we had the luck to rent an apartment and what an apartment ! Practically speaking, it was equipped with everything we needed (scotch tape, even !). It is a charming, confortable and spotlessly neat and tidy place ! But even more than such practical matters, the apartment gave us something much more intangible - the chance to live for 2 weeks like a Parisian(but without working, mind you!). This neighborhood feels very real and authentic to me- as you said, it's like a little village! The little bakeries, butcher shops, traiteurs( delicatessens) where people began to recognise us, shopping in the market, enjoying coffee in the little cafÈs....There were many days we didn't even get on the metro- it was enough just to "be" in the neighborhood and enjoy the "museum of life" as my husband put it ! Also, if anyone is looking for the hip, happening spot, the Bastille area is it. It was fun to grab a drink down around the lively bars around Place de la Bastille. However, my absolute favorite thing about this trip was the beautiful Marché d'Aligre - thank you,Virginia, for showing it to me, and even better was the wine merchant shop/bar -Le Baron Rouge. If people want a real taste of off-the -beaten-path, real Paris, show them this place. We loved our little aperitif wines we enjoyed there before going to the great restaurant -Le Square Trousseau, (reservations adviced) where the food was terific plus welcome very warm.. Those two places I would have never found without Virginia's help.So, thanks again for a lovely stay, and for a chance to live -a little bit- like a Parisian. C'Ètait magnifique !!!! P.S. We have rented apartments in other places in France, and this one is of the very best ! Tony,Lillemor, Nina & Anna Folkesson (Sweden) Thank you for a wonderful time in Paris ! The apartment was perfect for us with the fantastic view over the rooftops of Paris and of course la Tour Eiffel ! We also appreciate this area of Paris with small shops, where you can buy everything whenever you want it and hundreds of resataurants. Be sure we'll recommend your apartment to our friends in the future. Lynda Jones (Austin, TX) Mon Amie, like Hemingway, I shall be able to write of Paris when I am away from it. Now, the experience is too close, too raw, too beautiful to explain. Your haven settler may sound each evening as I sit and watch the spectacular light show in the horizon. In Texas, now, it is over 100&Mac176; F and life begins to feel heavy and moods swelter with fatigue and irritation as the "dog days" of summer settle in like an unwelcome relative. But here, the cool days, the constant rain, the temperature daylight hours, have all refreshed my spirit. Thanks....a thousand times over and over...for your most gracious presence in our daily lives. A friend of mine writes in a song, "Sometimes I feel there's an angel beside me" You have been our Paris angel- guiding us and providing us with a home. When (not if) you visit us in Austin Texas, we'll treat you to the flavors of the west...hopefully sooner than later. I feel as though I have been given the gift of a new friend. Until our paths cross again....and again....and again Pat & Bill Middleton (KS) We know you have heard it all before but we have to say it once more -merci, merci,merci. The apartment is wonderful-that goes without saying- your attention to details is impecable. We don't think there is any room for improvement. Your "get aquinted tour "the first day was fantastic and got us off do a good start with the immediate area and the metro.Thanks for the phone calls confirming our flights and ordering the airport shuttle for our departure and recommendations on good places to eat and sights to see. We especially appreciated your "TENDER LOVING CARE" when we were victimezed by a pickpocket and were feeling so down. You brought lavender oil down to the apartment, CDs to relax too and sent Bill for a bottle of wine and stayed with us and talked for hours helping us to get over it and helping us with calls to cancell credit cards. You helped tremendously. We enjoyed meeting Mr Tommie but unfortunately didn't get to meet Ms Zara- perhaps next time. We would like to come back. You are indeed a "unique" personality and a free spirit in the true sense of the word. We consider it a privilege to have met you. We hope one day you might like to visit Kansas City and if so as saying goes -mi casa,su casa - WE would love to have you stay with us. Pls keep this in mind. We enjoyed sharing the beautiful flowers your friend sent you- gladioles and sunflowers- Sunflowers are our State flower - how appropriate. Your are always doing some nice gesture to make our visit special. Please keep in touch with us; Once again -out thanks for all you have done. Au revoir Jim Schwartz (San Francisco) Something must be right about this place because it took only moments for it to become home. Thanks so much, Virginia, for making it this way and for sharing your knowledge, experience and enthusiasm for this city and neighborhood. I wouldn't have spent these days anywhere else. Jan Schoen (Portland, Oregon) Even though I was only here for one week, I did become familiar with the neghborhood and trully enjoyed the ambiance. It was a perfect spot to spend our time in Paris. Thank you for all your generosity and advice to Steve during his time without me and then to me when I arrived. Steve spent many hours searching on the internet for an apartment and I thank the stars that he found yours. I hope that when we are able to return to this wonderful city we can again enjoy your hospitability. Merci et a bientôt Joyce Baker (Detroit, Michigan) From the moment I entered this beautuful spacious apartment, I fell in love with it ! The apartment welcomes one to "stay and feel at home in this beautiful city" Virginia, has thought of everything, to make het guests feel at home -evn umbrellas ! The beautiful big kitchen, with its view of the Eiffel Tower and its sights and sounds from below(if you open the window and invite them in) encouraged me to linger even longer over my morning cup of coffee and if your are up very early you can smell fresh bread from the bakerees - not to be missed ! I have been to paris several times so imagine my delight to discover a new (to me) neighborhood- and in which I am sure I could live ! The area is full of life,with a wonderful mix of people and all of the necessities so close by; cafés, metro, bus taxi stops, patisseries, grocery stors,etc Virginia understands my love for Paris- her "insight" helped me to understand the city and its inhabitants better.Virginia's love for and knowledge of Paris makes your visit more special. No tour book or tour guide can give you what she does ! It has always been a dream of mine to live in Paris(even if only temporary ! Merci millefois for giving me that opportunity. Thank you also for encouraging me to get to know Paris even better. I will be back again and again. Maureen & Steve(New York, NY) It was a sincere pleasure meeting you, staying in this terrific apartment and experencing this "enjouée" city ! Where to begin ? Your tour of Pere Lachaise will be a lasting memory for us, as will you. You are a spark plug of energy, information, warmth and generosity. Thank you for doing what you do -the apartment, your tours and presence make it so easy to feel confortable and at home in Paris. There is nothing like having coffee and a delicious croissant (brought kindly by you !) in the morning while looking out the wondow at the Eiffel Tower. The apartment has everything you could need or want as does its hostess. P.S. The conversation at dinner, the food, the atmosphere was an experience of a lifetime. We live, we talk, we share, we understand, we commune, we are moved. OH ! and Tommie and Zara...some kinda cats !