8/09
The Paris Catacombs
- Image via Wikipedia
The line to get into the Paris catacombs snaked around the block. All ages, all kinds of people, and despite the subject of the attraction, the wait on line took on a kind of party mood.
The signs warning those with weak hearts and prone to claustrophobia against entering were an anomaly in ordinarily laissez-faire Paris.
But boy, they’re right. Down, down down, spiral staircases, tunnels and paths with bricks and stones thwarting every step, and the damp, dimly-lit walls and paths present other hazards.
Bones everywhere from the get-go. Tens of thousands of skulls and skeletons at every turn. At first, you’re horrified and empathetic. By the end of the tour, however, the attitude is “Seen one skeleton, seen ‘em all.” I rushed through the last half of bone piles. Nothing new here. Even though I love cemeteries and mausoleums, it’s for their history and poignancy — and beauty. Except for history, there was none of that here.
We emerged blinking like moles into the daylight. Somehow, wandering around in the subterranean gloom had become the norm over the hour-long trip. For proper re-entry, the only remedy was a carafe of red and a plate of moules frites at a sidewalk cafe.
By Lisa Rogak
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