Catacombs, Eiffel, Arc de Triomphe, Oh my!

This was probably our busiest day in Paris. Yes, all of these things in one day. We were like regular tourists or something! This also is the day I figured selfies were the way to go, so, yea... lots of those coming.

Previous Paris posts, post #1, post #2, post #3, post 4.

The Catacombs opened for tours at 10? I think? So we were ready! We knew we wanted to make a day of it because this location wasn't downtown where we were staying. We got on the subway to get there. Matthew was a natural after spending so much time in Japan - It's not too complicated anyway but the signs can be overwhelming if it's something you aren't used to.

After a short ride, we got of and... had no clue where we were compared to where we needed to be. So we walked... and basically somehow ran right into it. Nice! It was small and barely noticeable.

We got the audio tour - seeing a trend? We like them, we are information junkies!

I tell you one thing, there are a lot of bones down there. It's dark and drippy (ewwwwe!) and creepy! No flashes allowed! It dumps you off on an entirely different place in Paris because you walk so much.

Over all, it was neat, enough, but it wasn't long enough I think. The history was good. They took the stones out of the ground for the ancient buildings (like Notre Dame) and when it was done it was closed off and forgotten about, until building started caving in and falling into the earth! They went in to restructure it so it wouldn't happen anymore. They got concerned about disease from the cemeteries and decided to put all the bones in this unused space. Mostly what you see are skulls and femurs which make the outside wall of the bones and it looked like everything else was piled behind this wall. There were patterns made with the skulls crosses, hearts, monument looking things. Keeping the work interesting for the people who moved the bones!

I do wish I had gotten pictures of how it occasionally opened up way up high and there were pillars and reinforcements. We also wished we would have gotten pictures of a cool carving that is down there. Apparently a guy spend all his breaks and lunches carving a replica of a building. He had been imprisoned in another country and spent his time looking out the window at this building. Once it was completed he started building stairs down to the place it was located so other people could see and appreciate his work and he was killed when there was a cave in.

What next? What to do, what to do? Well, let's hoof it across town to the Eiffel Tower! When we got there, man, it's huge, we tried to figure out where to get tickets which was interesting. There were a bunch of people doing the same thing. They have the ticket booth on the far right and left legs, so when you get the front ones you think you have arrived but alas, you haven't. And it's BIG, did I mention that?

We should have known to follow the lines! One side was for Elevator only, the other for Stairs only. The elevator like was loooong, and we heard a worker say it was about a 45 minute wait. So, we opted for stairs, figuring that even if we were slow and out of shape, we would likely get to the goal destination within 45 minutes right?

You could choose the first, second or third floor and the costs depended on what you chose. We went all the way baby. After 703 steps we arrived at the second floor (info junkie) and, even though there are stairs to go all the way up, at this point they throw you a bone and let you ride from the second to the third floor.

It was high. For real. Make me a little queasy high! We looked at France from above and then went on our way. We didn't spend too much time up there actually, I am old, and apparently nervous. From way up high it looked like we could easily find the Arc De Triomphe walking so we set out sights on the path.

Going down the stairs was much easier than going up them. As we would pass people I would tell Matthew that I kept wanting to tell people they were almost there (it's kind of hard to tell) but I didn't know what language they would speak so I couldn't! I felt for them though!

We crossed over the Seine walked past the Museum of Modern Art and contemplated going in, I think this is where the Water Lilies are. Ultimately we decided not to and just to keep going.

We saw the Arc de Triomphe but kept going to grab some lunch at what looked like a little cafe but it went WAY back and there was an upstairs and a downstairs. Matthew joked that it was probably a French Chili's. I had some sort of meat selections (should have learned a lesson at this point, I probably ate 50% of it) but dang, there are some mean French Fried in France! They were the real deal. I don't even think fries are from France originally but perhaps after given that name they chose to perfect them? Because yummmmmy. I had forgotten to mention this in my general observation post!

After that we walked to the circle around the Arc De Triomphe, it's a very busy turnabout! To get to the middle of the circle, you go down stairs into a hallway that goes under the busy street and pops up right by the ADT. You can buy tickets to go up to the top of it but we had had enough of heights for the day. After all, we had just gotten off the Eiffel Tower. I am pretty sure it can't compare. Alas, we will never know. (I am okay with that!) Instead we walked around outside and under the Arc and it was gorgeous. A true work of art. Every inch of it.

Who knows what we did after that, I have no idea. Ate more cheese? Had some chocolate mousse? Maybe a macaroon?

Me and 6 million dead people...

My niece Afton told me it looks white in the pictures and it does! It's just the lighting somehow, it's dark brown.