Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

Hotel de France, Latin Quarter, Paris, France

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

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After spending 8 nights in Malta, an island nation in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, we left for Paris, France.

It was 3am in the morning when we rose to have a small breakfast in our apartment. The day before, we had already prepared sandwiches for travel.

At this early hour we called BOLT to take us to the airport and the driver came in about 3-4 minutes. That's what we like about BOLT - dependability 24 hours a day and quick, affordable service. Our cost for this airport ride was $12.70 Euros.

After standing in line at the airport to receive our boarding passes, the man at the counter said we were not in the system!

This was quite a shock to us at this hour - and we had to go to another counter to be sure their records were correct.

Billy had mentioned to the previous man that we were going to Paris, but forgot to say it was via Amsterdam. The servers at the 2nd counter found us easily looking at the MLA-AMS-CDG airport codes.

We were off to Gay Pair-ee!

Map showing our flight from Malta to Paris

We had been to Paris many times, but it was decades before. Another lifetime ago, really - before the restaurant, and before our FIRE. 

Paris has a huge airport. We finally found the taxi area and we weren't able to get a BOLT so we were scuttled along to the taxi area. The hour and ten minute ride cost us $150Euros (!) plus an automatically entered tip, making the total over $183USD.

Once settled into our hotel room, we looked up what BOLT would have cost us, and it was around $40Euros.

Lesson learned!!

The front of Hotel Home Latin

To the taxi driver's credit, he drove a limousine, gave us sparkling water and a tour around Paris. Since we arrived in the evening, Paris was all lit up and enchanting. 

Our hotel is located in the historic Latin Quarter on the south bank of the River Seine, the heart of Paris, the City of Light. We were paying $175USD per night, and planned to stay 8 nights.

In this lively area there are French universities such as the Sorbonne; places of historical, cultural and architectural interest such as the Pantheon and the Palais du Luxembourg, as well as the beautiful botanical gardens of Paris.

Of course, there are many typically Parisian restaurants and cafés.

Our double room

Compared to our sunlit apartment in Rabat, this room seemed a bit dark and small at first.

But... we were excited to get on with our journey through Paris.

Ultimately, it had everything we needed.

A different view of the bedroom area

The bed was firm and the small balcony window was to the right. From the window, we had a lovely view of the Haussmannian buildings in the area.

Desk, closet, refrigerator, balcony

Here is another view of our snug room, with a closet, desk, and mini-fridge. The radiant heater with circulating hot water is to the right outside the photo.

Postage stamp size bathroom

This was our bathroom.

Thank God we had very hot water in the shower, but if you bent down anywhere in here, your bum would hit the wall. Or your head would hit the sink, or...

Washing your face, brushing your teeth and drying off after a shower was a skill we had to develop quickly.

Otherwise, banging around and bruising were involved!

We experienced the smallest kitchen in the world, and how we have enjoyed the smallest bathroom ever! 

This photo is taken with the mirrored bathroom door open inwards which is why the bathroom sink is reflecting on it. You can see the door handle next to the mirror.

View from our balcony

We had stayed in the Latin Quarter the last time we were in Paris, decades ago.

During the Middle Ages, the University of Paris (which split into several universities including the Sorbonne) attracted scholars from across Europe. Today, this district has maintained its reputation as a student hub.  

This is the view directly from our balcony, looking at the lovely Parisian buildings across the street.

Our refrigerator was also a "mini" - so we would put our wine out on the inside ledge here to keep it cold.

This whole area was originally settled by the Romans, and you can still find remnants of their presence today.

View from the balcony

These are more Haussmann buildings - typical of Paris.

It was Napoleon III who instructed Georges-Eugene Haussmann to bring air and light to the centre of Paris, to unify the different neighborhoods with boulevards, and to make Paris more beautiful.

In the middle of the 19th century before Haussmann began this project, the centre of Paris was viewed as overcrowded, dark, dangerous, and unhealthy.

Between 1853 and 1870, there was the construction of new sewers, fountains and aqueducts, and neighborhoods were annexed.

While his work was met with fierce opposition, and he was ultimately dismissed by Napoleon III, work on his projects continued until 1927. The street plan and distinctive appearance of the centre of Paris today are largely the result of Haussmann's renovation.

He transformed the city into a model for cities around the world.

Would we recommend Hotel Latin for you to stay?

We would say it's adequate and has a great location. You might be able to find a better place, but the hotel's information is below.

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Hotel de France, Quartier Latin

108 Rue Monge

75005 Paris, France

Tel: + 33 1 47 07 19 04

E-mail : reception@hotelfrancequartierlatin.com 

Website: https://www.hotelfrancequartierlatin.com/en/  

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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