June 21

Awe, Paris! Can we say that again?  Our one and only full day here.  We had a great time exploring some last night and you can sort of get your bearings about where things are, but today we had a few things we really wanted to see.  We did some Internet research and one thing was right on, one was not, and one we should have researched.

First stop, the Catacombs.  The Internet sites we found said that you don’t need tickets ahead and just to come about ½ hour earlier than opening and it would be fine.  It wasn’t an old site so we thought we’d be good.  We got there the recommended ½ hour before and there was a good line already, maybe 150 people.  They allot 200 per time into the Catacombs and each “visit” is about 45 minutes so we thought it would be no big deal.  Some youngsters behind us had bought their tickets online and could move to the “ticket line.”  We never did figure out how the lines worked.  The ticket lines was never very long and they got to go "first" and then they took others from the line we were in.  THREE hours later we got to go in.  Yes, THREE hours… and there is no way there were 200 people down there with us!!  So, we have no idea why it took so long.  We walked down lots of stairs and down narrow and dark-ish hallways.  We came to a central area that explained what we would be seeing and how some of the skeletons were found before they were moved; for example, if they were part of a plague or another devastating event, they were found in groups.  Paris is a big city and an old city.  The Catacombs hold the remains of more than six MILLION people.  That is NOT a typo.  The Catacombs (or ossuary) was founded due to two big problems:  a series of cave-ins of the mines of Paris in 1774 and overflowing cemeteries.  Many people died during the Black Plague and other circumstances, and there were always many sick and infirm from the hospitals.  The cemeteries just couldn’t handle all of them.  There were already subterranean tunnels under Paris (the aforementioned Mines) so, why not move them there?  It was really, really unnerving to see the stacks and stack and stacks of bones, interspersed with skulls and other bones.  We only saw a small part of this and literally could have reached out and touched any of them.  They ask that we don’t (We certainly didn’t) and they asked that we not steal any bones (We didn’t do that either.).  So, was a three hour wait worth 45 minutes below the ground?  Yes.  But, if you decide to go, get the tickets online and stand in THAT line. :)  We also met a very nice young woman from Norway who’d been experiencing Paris for the last month and this was her last stop before hopping a plane home (flight time of only 1 ½ hours!).  It was the longest she'd had to wait for anything in her entire month in Paris. The heat was also bothersome for her as she was used to Norway cool. We also chatted with a French couple who actually live near Normandy but were in town to visit their son for a few days and decided to take in a few sights while they were here.  

Since we’d spent our entire morning there we stopped for lunch at a sidewalk cafe (authentic French Onion soup--yummy!) and then took a break back at the hotel.  Paris was HOT, and apparently having record temperatures!  It was so hot. Not humid, mind you, but hot is hot.  Everyone was glistening with sweat and many donned fans and fanned away.  We walked in the shadows when we could and that helped quite a bit.

We aimed towards the Cathedral Notre Dame.  It is free but there was a line.  It actually moved quickly as it is a pretty big church. :)  It was gorgeous.  Some people didn’t read about the dress requirements of going into churches and were turned away (no exposed shoulders and below the knee attire).  There were several beggar women and the police came and sort of moved them.  The beggars just get up when they see them coming but only move to the other side of the line! where they are less visible.  The police had machine guns.  That just sort of freaks Cheryl out a bit.  We also encountered police with machine guns while walking later in the day towards the Louvre!  Just standing there. Machine guns.

Back to Notre Dame.  You could spend a long time there, admiring the paintings and other artwork, the ornate columns, etc.  Each little chapel along the side offered something special.  Cheryl lit a few candles for peace--it looks like the world could use some.   We got some great pictures although not as many from the center as we would have liked.  We found out that there was going to be a service and they were asking people to leave.  We could have stayed but wanted to get to our other places of interest.  The bells rung while we were walking around the outside--wonderful sounds!  No hunchback sighting.

On to see where Jim Morrison lived and died.  Andrew had done some research and found the neighborhood and apartment building.  For those that don’t know music Jim Morrison was the lead singer of the Doors.   He had some personal issues and thought a sabbatical in Paris would help but he was found dead on July 3, 1971.  There was a sign on the building that specifically stated that Jim Morrison did not die in that building.  There is some “controversy” surrounding his death, that perhaps he is not really dead and just living anonymously somewhere.

We headed towards the Bastille, a fortress built between the 1370-1380s.  It actually gained more recognition as a prison for the well-to-do, and then ultimately any prisoners.   It was ultimately destroyed in 1789 and all that is left is some limited stonework.  We couldn’t find any of that, BUT that neighborhood was really busy, very vibrant.  Lots of young people and music and shops. We should have researched this area better but it was still worth the trip to that part of town.

Our one Internet tidbit that was spot on was to wait to visit the Louvre until after 6.  They are opened until 9:30 PM two days per week, and one of those days, lucky us, is Wednesdays.  It took us longer to get there than we had planned so we actually didn’t make it until 7:30 but we literally walked right in, bought our tickets, and could walk anywhere.  We headed first to see the Mona Lisa, as most people must do based on the signs directing you to her location.  There was a small group there surrounding her area (She was cordoned off so people wouldn’t get too close.).  We waited and then got close enough to feel the greatness of da Vinci.  We took some photos and just hung out for a bit.  We stayed, roaming around, until just before 9:30.  There is a LOT to see.  Paintings, sculptures, relics from many times and locations.  If someone was a true artist, they could probably stay days!  We loved what we saw, and could have probably benefited from a little more time, BUT not dealing with crowds was so fantastic!!  We did find several of the paintings referenced in the Dan Brown book The da Vinci Code.  That was fun. :)

We enjoyed our walk back towards our hotel, stopping at a sidewalk restaurant for a light bite.  There was some music across the street and we could listen and enjoy.  The streets are busy all the time, everyone bustling to get from Point A to Point B.  Some natives and some hauling suitcases around.  

Lovely day, but again, some very tired Verkamps.

Nighty night.