Thursday in Paris: Le Louvre and le Marais

We took a Four day museum pass when we were at Versailles and it really paid off. Except for the Eiffel Tower and the Catacombs. We start our day with the Catacombs, waiting half an hour before entering this unassuming green building a few blocks away from our apartment.

The Catacombs of Paris or Catacombes de Paris is an underground ossuary inParis, France. Located south of the former city gate (the "Barrière d'Enfer" at today'sPlace Denfert-Rochereau), the ossuary holds the remains of about six million people^[1]and fills a renovated section of caverns and tunnels that are the remains of Paris'sstone mines. Opened in the late 18th century, the underground cemetery became a tourist attraction on a small scale from the early 19th century, and has been open to the public on a regular basis from 1874. Following an incident of vandalism, they were closed to the public in September 2009 and reopened on 19 December of the same year.^[2]The Catacombs are one of the 14 City of Paris' Museums that have been incorporated since January 1, 2013 in the public institution Paris Musées.
The official name for the catacombs is l'Ossuaire Municipal. Although this cemetery covers only a small section of underground tunnels comprising "les carrières de Paris" ("the quarries of Paris"), Parisians today often refer to the entire tunnel network as "the catacombs".

Interestingly, the whole of Paris is dug up, the rocks used to create the city. It's huge, really huge, and we're only going to visit a small percentage of it where the ossuary is located, walking a few kilometres under ground (and about 60 steps down). Our visit is divided in two parts. First the tunnels:

We then enter the ossuary. It's very impressive and a bit humbling to see all those bones taken from different cemeteries around the city. My photos are dark because we can't use the flash, and once in a while someone yells "No Flash" when one goes off. Some people have really depressing jobs.

The exit is as unassuming as the main entrance. In front is a boutique where we'll buy some gifts for the kids. It's just about time we do :)

Next stop is l"Arc de Triomphe, again. We split up, Suzanne going to her business lunch and I walking down les Champs Elyses toward Le Louvre, our meeting place. My goal is to eat at a McDonald's and have a Starbuck's coffee, and to mix with the locals, something I like to do.

I find a McDonald's on Les Champs-Élysées. It's the biggest McDo I've ever seen and it's so pack it takes me ten minutes to find a tiny place. I don't go to McDo very often, but it's the first time I can't sit. The cost of the food is similar to what we pay here, but in Euros (so 1.4 times the cost, really). I leave after some light conversation toward Le Louvre where I know there's a Starbuck's.

When I arrive there's still a lot of time for me before I meet up with Suzanne so I go have a Latte at Starbucks. Cost is the same but in Euros, again, so quite expensive. It's the exact coffee I'm used to drinking back on the other side of the Pound. I sit with a group of Parisians and we have a lovely conversation, trading stories about our different countries. Interestingly, I learn they find Starbuck's coffee and of match with what they drink. I'll think of that next time I have a latte at home.

With another half hour to kill I go back into the museum to visit yet another wing. Here are a few pictures...

When we get together, Suzanne and I walk toward Les Marais. When Suzanne came to France a few months ago she stayed there on her short stay.