Paris day 3
It's only 2:30 back in the States, but here we are winding down from our busy day.
CG had to work today, so I was on my own.
We were up around 8 and out the door by 10. CG headed to the radio station on Champs Elysees, and I hit the Metro stop down the street. This was my first solo trip and I did pretty good. One lesson I forgot at first: always throw away your Metro tickets when you're done. I tried to use one from yesterday at first! d'oh!
For future reference: I took the 1 to the Chatele stop, then to the B train, which I took to the Denfert-Rochereau stop (all told, about 30 minutes worth of train/walking) OMG it's quite a walk just from the 1 line to the B line in the Chatele stop. It's huge there!
I came out at the Denfert-Rochereau circle and got into line for the Catacombs. About an hour wait, then I was in!
There were 130 steps down--which I knew about, but they didn't state it was a circular stairwell. I was dizzy by the time I hit bottom! You walk through a lot of tunnels before you hit the Ossory. BTW-a guide to the tour is here.
It was cool. It was creepy. It was very very creepy, actually. In retrospect, I shouldn't have gone alone. There were times I was all alone, walking along the bones. Definitely spooky. But cool too!
How do I describe it? How do you talk about the bones of 6 million people around you? Lined up in pile after pile after pile? I can't describe the silence, the eeriness, the sound of slowly dripping water as you walk past skull after skull after skull? With only the light from the electric lamps guiding you along?
Yeah, it was creepy. But again I say---creepy but cool! Pics are on my FB page (modern account). I do have to admit I thought a bit about the folks who hid there during WWII and the reference Max Brooks makes in his book World War Z. You'd have to be very desperate to hang out there. Or not give a shit about that kinda stuff. ;)
Then 83 steps up. Dude, that was harsh. But I made it and emerged happily into the light and fresh air.
I wandered around, trying to get oriented, because you come out in this random neighborhood. I got back to the circle and found a cafe. A carafe of water, Croque Monsieur, French fries, followed by a delicious Cafe Creme, and I was ready to tackle the Cimetière du Montparnasse! (I would link to a website but being in France means my google-fu has been usurped and everything is in French. Sorry!)
So, I wandered around, taking pictures of the cool statuary. Like stated above, pics are on FB--on my modern account.
I left and hopped back on the B to Chatelet, hopped on the 1 to the Franklin D. Roosevelt stop (yes, really), hopped on the 9 to the Alma Marceau stop. (I'm really getting to know the Chatelet stop! LOL) A walk across the bridge to the Left Bank and then down to the Sewer Museum.
It was dorky, it was cute, it stank (literally). At one point I thought I was going to puke--I didn't realize it was a WORKING part of the sewer. But it was very interesting--especially the sewer cleaning balls. That was nifty to see.
I almost bought Ben a rat marionette, but decided he wouldn't enjoy it.
By the time I was finished there, I was DONE. I sat on a bench enjoying the fresh air before heading back to the Metro and the apartment. I made a quick stop for a fresh croissant (OMG how I will ever be able to eat one in America again is beyond me. The difference is amazing!) and a 1.5 liter bottle of Coke Zero. Cause I wanted some.
I got in the apartment, took off shoes, washed my hands, changed clothes, washed my hands again, pulled my hair back, washed my hands again, chugged almost an entire liter of water, ate a croissant, drank some Coke Zero, and slowly returned to human.
My feet hurt. My legs don't hurt (yay!) I've taken 2 boo-boo-profin, and have spent the rest of the day just relaxing, chatting with friends, and planning tomorrow's adventure.
CG got home about 8 and we just finished dinner. It's about 9:30 now, so we'll talk for a bit before heading to bed. We decided to head out earlier tomorrow to have breakfast in a cafe before going our separate ways.
Two more days left! I'm really looking forward to the fun tomorrow--Musee Cluny, Shakespeare & Co., and back to Ile de la Cite to see what I didn't get to on Tuesday--plus I'd like to go back to Notre Dame and explore some more.
But now it's time for my dessert (CG grabbed me some apple thing from the local Patisserie on his way back) and then bed!
CG had to work today, so I was on my own.
We were up around 8 and out the door by 10. CG headed to the radio station on Champs Elysees, and I hit the Metro stop down the street. This was my first solo trip and I did pretty good. One lesson I forgot at first: always throw away your Metro tickets when you're done. I tried to use one from yesterday at first! d'oh!
For future reference: I took the 1 to the Chatele stop, then to the B train, which I took to the Denfert-Rochereau stop (all told, about 30 minutes worth of train/walking) OMG it's quite a walk just from the 1 line to the B line in the Chatele stop. It's huge there!
I came out at the Denfert-Rochereau circle and got into line for the Catacombs. About an hour wait, then I was in!
There were 130 steps down--which I knew about, but they didn't state it was a circular stairwell. I was dizzy by the time I hit bottom! You walk through a lot of tunnels before you hit the Ossory. BTW-a guide to the tour is here.
It was cool. It was creepy. It was very very creepy, actually. In retrospect, I shouldn't have gone alone. There were times I was all alone, walking along the bones. Definitely spooky. But cool too!
How do I describe it? How do you talk about the bones of 6 million people around you? Lined up in pile after pile after pile? I can't describe the silence, the eeriness, the sound of slowly dripping water as you walk past skull after skull after skull? With only the light from the electric lamps guiding you along?
Yeah, it was creepy. But again I say---creepy but cool! Pics are on my FB page (modern account). I do have to admit I thought a bit about the folks who hid there during WWII and the reference Max Brooks makes in his book World War Z. You'd have to be very desperate to hang out there. Or not give a shit about that kinda stuff. ;)
Then 83 steps up. Dude, that was harsh. But I made it and emerged happily into the light and fresh air.
I wandered around, trying to get oriented, because you come out in this random neighborhood. I got back to the circle and found a cafe. A carafe of water, Croque Monsieur, French fries, followed by a delicious Cafe Creme, and I was ready to tackle the Cimetière du Montparnasse! (I would link to a website but being in France means my google-fu has been usurped and everything is in French. Sorry!)
So, I wandered around, taking pictures of the cool statuary. Like stated above, pics are on FB--on my modern account.
I left and hopped back on the B to Chatelet, hopped on the 1 to the Franklin D. Roosevelt stop (yes, really), hopped on the 9 to the Alma Marceau stop. (I'm really getting to know the Chatelet stop! LOL) A walk across the bridge to the Left Bank and then down to the Sewer Museum.
It was dorky, it was cute, it stank (literally). At one point I thought I was going to puke--I didn't realize it was a WORKING part of the sewer. But it was very interesting--especially the sewer cleaning balls. That was nifty to see.
I almost bought Ben a rat marionette, but decided he wouldn't enjoy it.
By the time I was finished there, I was DONE. I sat on a bench enjoying the fresh air before heading back to the Metro and the apartment. I made a quick stop for a fresh croissant (OMG how I will ever be able to eat one in America again is beyond me. The difference is amazing!) and a 1.5 liter bottle of Coke Zero. Cause I wanted some.
I got in the apartment, took off shoes, washed my hands, changed clothes, washed my hands again, pulled my hair back, washed my hands again, chugged almost an entire liter of water, ate a croissant, drank some Coke Zero, and slowly returned to human.
My feet hurt. My legs don't hurt (yay!) I've taken 2 boo-boo-profin, and have spent the rest of the day just relaxing, chatting with friends, and planning tomorrow's adventure.
CG got home about 8 and we just finished dinner. It's about 9:30 now, so we'll talk for a bit before heading to bed. We decided to head out earlier tomorrow to have breakfast in a cafe before going our separate ways.
Two more days left! I'm really looking forward to the fun tomorrow--Musee Cluny, Shakespeare & Co., and back to Ile de la Cite to see what I didn't get to on Tuesday--plus I'd like to go back to Notre Dame and explore some more.
But now it's time for my dessert (CG grabbed me some apple thing from the local Patisserie on his way back) and then bed!