C'est Paris: Treading off the Beaten Track.

If you're ever in Paris and you happen to be looking for something off the beaten track (something aside from the 100+ year old paintings, towering architectural feats, beautiful gardens and luxurious gastronomy...) then perhaps this could be something you'd like to visit when you're in town.

I like to think that the French folks see art in everything they happen upon: paintings, pottery, architecture, food, drinking..

They see art in EVERYTHING!

Recently...

I also found out that the French also see the art in dying... How macabre?

Yes, in France... Death is Art and act of dying is even more so...

Nothing rings this statement true-r than a visit to Paris' legendary Les Catacombes de Paris (The Catacombs of Paris).

A famous underground ossuary located in the capital of France. Dating back to the late 18th Century, Les Catacombes are actually former mining quarries chosen by the City of Paris to deposit bones of the deceased (removed from The Cemetery of the Innocents after overcrowding became a cause of health concerns and complaints by the local residents). For an interesting read of the history and details, click here.

To date: there's an estimate number of bones equivalent to 6 million people in the Catacombes.

However, the place isn't all just bones and skulls for viewing. As you walk, you'll encounter some amazing miniature architectural structures carved out from the stones by workers before. Here, you'll have a view on what buildings looked like back then... you may even recognise some of them!

Clearly this is not everyone's cup of tea! Particularly if you are afraid of the dark or happen to be gifted with a very very very very imaginative mind.

Deep underground 130 steps below ground, it is a different perspective of Paris than from what you see on above on street level. You spend at least 45mins underground and unfortunately to those who are petrified, this is one of those tours where you truly have to keep on going forward in order to get out - there is no turning back because you simply can't...

Truly macabre scene.

My hat goes off to those staff members manning the areas down below - I truly don't know how they can stand being there amongst the pile of bones...

But then again some people aren't frigtened by it.

After all, they're simply just a place of stacked bones and skulls..
Remember folks: something only holds to be true if you place meaning and belief upon them.

The bones and skulls have been rearranged in an almost decorative manner and it's so weird to see them that way. Unlike the bones and skulls in Cambodia placed behind a window pane, here you are literally surrounded left and right by them, within touching distance. Hoards of skulls and bones line the walls from end to end. You can even touch them, which I was not brave enough to bring myself to do.

Expect to do a lot of walking as you enter the catacombs as the route will go as far as 2km... however you maybe happy to know that not 100% of the route is lined with bones. Perhaps half of it or even less? An entrance with engraved words will mark the beginning of the actual catacombs. Words bold and big set deep in the stone entrance frame, translating as 

"Stop! Here lies the Empire of the Dead!"

 

As you walk down the route of the catacombs, you can actually see that some of the walkways are split heading into other directions, but these areas have been sealed off by barred gates

Personally I suspect that the hype of being in the catacombes is more scary than what it actually is... I was more fascinated with the marvel of its architectural feats because as you continue walking you see the area become wider and wider, ceilings become taller and taller. Years are engraved into the stones to mark when they started building each sections... and some of them go as back as 1750s! How awesome is that?

 

I didn't find the place scary at all... however I'm certain this was because (if more than anything) I was getting really annoyed with a certain stupid American tourist who tagged behind our group, she was petrified of being there... ditching her friends and followed our group. My guess is because we had a guy with us... LOL.

Throughout the entire 2km all I could hear was her whinging whine right behind me in the ultimate high-school girly pitch voice about:

1. how she was going to die

2. how much she's scared

3. how she's going to faint

4. how much she's getting dizzy; and

5. "OMG!! 6 MILLION PEOPLE buried here!!!!!!!"

I was trying my best not to go ape-shit on her, but deep down inside i was dying to scream at her:

My GOD, make up your mind: if you want to die, go and die... if you want to faint, go faint... do anything but PLEASEEEE stop whinging....

Luckily by the time she got on my last few nerves, we reached the end of the catacombs. 

Seeing daylight and breathing in fresh air had never felt so good!