Gay Paris!

Paris has been a dream so far, and as I write this we’re only halfway through our time here. Our last drive in the old Peugeot was an easy one, and we made it to our hotel without much trouble. We’re staying in Montparnasse in the southern part of Paris, and we have a great little neighborhood that we’ve been getting to know well.

Our first big adventure here was returning the car to the airport, which sounds like a breeze, but was not. I now know Charles de Gaulle airport like the back of my hand. After dropping off the car we visited Notre Dame, then walked along the Seine, past the Louvre, by the Opera, and back around to the Arc de Triomphe. Lots of walking that day, so needless to say, we were pooped. We had a late dinner and called it a night.

Another of our days here we went in search of Jim Morrison’s grave. Just to set the record straight, neither of us were crazy desperate to see the grave like so many who’ve visited before, but we felt like wandering and it sounded like an interesting adventure. Turns out, not so interesting after all. As we wandered through the cemetery, it was pretty clear that a lot of people were headed to the same place we were (it was the most crowded cemetery I’ve ever visited - live people, that is). As you round the corner to his grave, the first thing you see is a security guard. The second thing you see is a metal barrier. The third is lots of people.

I had seen pictures of the grave before, and I knew there was a bust of Mr. Morisson and graffiti covering the whole thing, as well as headstones around it. Now the bust is gone, the headstones are clean, and there is nothing setting it apart from the rest of the graves (besides the crowd). Apparently just after he died people were camping out there, writing all over his and other headstones, and generally making a mockery of an otherwise somber and respectful place, so there is plenty of security now.

After that we headed into Montmarte, past the famous Moulin Rouge, and over to a movie theatre for a little American therapy in the form of Hancock, which turned out to be a pretty good movie.

Monday we spent having a picnic below the Eiffel Tower. It was just me, Bill, and hundreds of other people. It was a beautiful day after several overcast ones, and it was such a great setting for a picnic, so I didn’t even mind being overrun by other tourists.

Yesterday we ventured outside of Paris to EuroDisney! It was kind of on a whim, and it ended up being so fun. We went to the EuroUniversal Studios adjacent to the park for some rollercoasters and overpriced burgers, and then into EuroDisneyland for more rollercoasters and overpriced food. EuroDisney is set up just like the one in Anaheim, but all the rides are the slightest bit different. It’s just not the same to hear pirates speak french.

Today was another great day; after a long breakfast we made our way to the Catacombs, which are right near our hotel. The story of the catacombs is that people were mining underneath Paris for stone to build up the city, but around 1815 it was prohibited. A few years later people living around a particular cemetery were contracting fatal diseases from it (hate to think of what the cemeteries of old were like), so it was exhumed, and all the bones of the dead were placed in the mines.

As you can imagine, it’s pretty creepy, especially when you’re walking through the dark, underground hallways with a boyfriend that enjoys scaring the bejesus out of you. Anyway...after several meters of dugout hallways you come to the entrance of the ossuary, and inside are the bones of literally millions of people. The hallway width varies, but it’s about 5 feet across, and the walls are about 5 feet high, lined with femurs and skulls in interesting designs. Behind that you can see all the rest of the other types of bones piled up and held back by the aforementioned femurs and skulls. These hallways go on for probably a quarter of a mile, with a small altar every now and then where they said a mass for those whose final remains were being placed in certain areas.

On our way out a security guard asked to check my bag, since I guess people steal bones? Eew. Anyway, seeing all those bones makes you work up an appetite, so Bill and I went to lunch, and ordered a big pile of ribs. Just kidding.