Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Oct 26 -Sunday Catacombe & Pantheon

Got up at 9:00 am and off to the Café Du Marche for breakfast. Sunday brunch. Croisant, juice, tea, eggs & salmon. Many things were closed because it was Sunday, including the Monoprix (upscale small walmart type place) where we had hoped to get a hold of a corkscrew. We need a corkscrew…grrrrrr.

Off to the catacombs (yes of course on the metro). Shane went and got in the very long line. I went to the corner public toilet where I saved an elderly woman from a power washing. The toilets close up and power wash after every use. She tried to scoot right in behind me as I was going out. All I could think to say was NO!!! NO!!! LA DOUCHE!! (shower). Her daughter grabbed her and thanked me.

The catacombs were awesome, and freakish. Six million people’s bones piled up or in lovely patterns.






















Shane doing her Blair Witch Imititation!

Getting out was terrifying 83 steps about 20” wide spiraling. Thought I might have a clue now how all those bones got there. I did finally make it to the top and sat in the chair. The guard asked if I was ok. I looked behind me and there was a flashing DIFIBULATOR! YIKES! Next to it on a table were some skulls and bones. Shane and the guard explained that those were the items taken that day from people trying to steal them. WHO STEALS BONES FROM A MONUMENT????

My new goal is to become a ventriloquist so I can hang out in the catacombs and scare people. I said that while I was down there and some girl said I was twisted. Nice to have my talent recognized.

We were next considering the Louvre, however, there was a little euro store (dollar store) in our path and VIOLA! they had a corkscrew! We realized after we bought it that they would confiscate it at the Louvre. Maybe lunch and the Luxembourg Gardens.

We found a great upscale Creperie and parked. I had a crepe with ratatouille. It was wonderful. We happened to be facing the Pantheon and so we ditched our plans for the Luxembourg Gardens and went to visit all the dead people at the Pantheon. Voltaire, Zola, Mdme Currie, Braille and many others. There was a great special exhibit on Zola. The Pantheon was a spectacular work of art in itself as well as a great way to learn some French history.

The guy on the left is Voltaire.










Yes.. really, this last one is the guy’s heart in a jar. He was very important.


Our next plans involved the corkscrew and some picnic food. We were cold though so we went back to the hotel and changed. Back on the metro. We bought a bag of roasted chestnuts from a lady outside the metro station. They were gross. Now we know. We found a tiny market to purchase our feast. Cheese, bread, grapes, apples, olives and some chocolate pudding. We didn’t really want the pudding but we had no cups. Buying the pudding was cheaper than buying a 50 pack of cups. We planned on eating the pudding first then using the jars for wine. Back on the metro to the Eiffel Tower. There’s a great big field of grass behind it where people go to picnic and others go to try and bum cigarettes from picnicking people.

I took this picture with my phone. I still have it as my screen.

The pudding was gross. I ate mine. Shane dumped hers on the grass. She said there are so many dogs people will just think it is poop. Nice. We called Uncle John to wish him Happy Birthday!

The picnic was great until it started raining then is was still great in a kind of soggy way but by then we were ready to go. More metros. More stairs.

We got back to the hotel and I went on the shower adventure. The shower was on the fourth floor. I found it. The token went in a box then you got 10 minutes of water. I put the token in and nothing happened. I banged on the box. Yep, that did it. It was a nice hot shower.

Got back to the room and Shane was sound asleep. There was a little more wine in the bottle. It was raining harder now so I poured myself a glass, opened the windows and looked out on my shiny wet patch of Paris. It was lovely. It looked like a French painting.



Bon Nuit.

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