Most people don't fly from Boston to Paris for a long weekend... Unless they're crazy like Anjuli! (I wish more of my friends were ;o) hint hint) If you think about it, it's about the same as flying to the west coast for a long weekend which is totally doable. Maybe it's the whole international aspect that makes us want to capture as much as we can in a trip. Or maybe it's the time difference. But most likely it's the cost benefit ratio. Nevertheless, if anyone gets the urge to come for a weekend visit I won't complain.
Anjuli's weekend entailed more of a glimpse into my every day Parisian life than site seeing and tour guiding; fortunately, she is familiar with the City of Lights. Saturday we went to the marché d'Auteuil to pick up some fresh veggies and I was spoiled with a homemade Indian meal. Then a quick visit to the Catacombs in honor of Halloween. And at night we attended my friend Fiona's going away party, which ended up being what we call here une nuit blanche (literal translation - a white night but it basically means an all-nighter).
Now for a little history lesson, the Catacombs (its official name is l'Ossuaire Municipal) is an underground ossuary holding the remains of about 6 million people and was built back in the 18th century and has been open to public since 1867.
Here is the Empire of Death
Fun facts:
There is a long history of the tunnels being used for more than just burial with graffiti dating back to the 18th century. Victor Hugo wrote about the tunnel system in Les Misérables and during WW2 the tunnels were used by the French Resistance.
My last visit was while Natasha was in Paris and we were told that back in the late 1800s some of the employees use to throw parties down in the Catacombs until they got caught and presumably fired. I would have loved to be an invitee!
The tunnels of the Catacombs spread throughout Paris but only a small section is open to the public and supposedly some people actually sneak into other sections. As cool as this sounds, my law abiding mentality would probably skip this out of fear of either ending caught in the maze of tunnels and/or stuck down there forever or sent to jail ;o) But I really do want to go!
Last but not least, rumor has it that Marie-Antoinette is buried in the Catacombs but who knows where, though, some speculate near La Concorde.
Ooh! Spooky yet awesome!
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