Today we went to Saint Cloud.  Saint- Cloud is immediately west of Paris with a population of about 30,000.  We had the walk-through of our house we are renting which took nearly 3 hours as EVERY detail of the house is inspected.  Even scuff marks on the baseboards and cracks in the ceiling were listed.  In France you must pay one month security deposit, first months rent and an additional months rent to the realtor.  Also, because we are foreigners, we needed to have a bank guarantee.  This is a bank account with one years rent as collateral in case we default on any payments.  So- it’s a lot of money up front. 

There are no furnished rental homes.   You even have to buy a refrigerator, dishwasher and washer/dryer.   Some rentals don’t even come with kitchen cabinets!  We bought everything on line at IKEA France prior to our arrival.  The price was great however we are not looking forward to assembling everything next week!!

The house is very typical.  The first floor has a tiny kitchen, dining room, and living room.  The  bedrooms are on the second and third floors  The kids claimed their rooms immediately – and of course Olivia chose wisely.  The ceiling lights are interesting as there are not any fixtures.  Instead there are beautiful ceiling moldings with a string and a light bulb hanging down.    We have a nice side garden/yard and are within walking distance to a beautiful park.  It was another beautiful day so we decided to walk all the way from our home, across the Seine and into Paris. The kids are such troopers!

Tomorrow is Bastille Day!  Looking forward to see how the French celebrate!

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