I couldn’t decide if I wanted to see the Paris Catacombs or not. On the one hand it seemed like a can’t miss opportunity. I mean who else buries 6 million people underground and makes it a tourist attraction? On the other hand, it’s kind of gross and sad. I left it up to my travel partner. If she was game then so was I. We took the train out there and saw the line to get in to the ossuaries was literally around the block. We left and meandered the lovely streets of La Butte-aix-Cailles instead thinking the line might die down later in the day. Turns out one needs to prepare to wait a long while if they want to stare at a bunch of dead people miles underground.
The catacombs were created to solve the problem of overcrowding in the cemeteries which had been closed due to health concerns. The bones of millions of people were transferred in to the abandoned quarries in 1786-1859 and only opened later in the 19th century as a tourist attraction. I still don’t know how I feel about taking money from people to go and visit a “cemetery” but I hope the money goes to the upkeep of the place.
I am grateful I was with my friend because it would have been pretty creepy to do on one’s own. After descending and ascending what felt like a million stairs we got our minds off of the fact we had just walked by and photographed human remains and ate dinner at one of the best Italian Restaurants I have ever attended @ Cafe Latarantella. All was right in the world once more after that dinner.
This post was inspired by Cee’s Odd Ball Challenge. Check out my last Odd Ball Challenge from Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
Wow!! Fascinating!! I would Love to visit this. Cemeteries and graveyards truly amaze me! Since I was a small girl I’ve always felt an attraction to this type of thing. IMHO We have more to fear from the living than the dead.
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That’s the truth indeed!
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Thanks for sharing these great photos. The catacombs were one of the most unique and memorable things that we did in Paris. The sight of millions of bones meticulously stacked was just incredible, although we did have to sit down for a glass of wine afterwards to shake off the creepiness.
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I know exactly how you feel. That’s why we went to dinner and had some lovely wine with Italian food. It lightened the mood.
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Oh no! Not for me, I’m afraid. Guess this is one of the reasons I’m for cremation!
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Catacombs are one thing but I don’t know about people paying money to come see my bones stacked up on top of 6 million other people’s bones. While I admire their problem solving skills I shutter at the respectfulness of the whole thing. Looks more like something that should come out of an adventure movie like Indiana Jones than real life, huh?
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Is it okay to be laughing? I guess it’s a sign of life, anyway!
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I sure hope it’s ok. 🙂
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That’s a place I’ve always wanted to visit but never had the chance. It sounds a bit creepy but I think it’s fascinating, especially how well preserved the bones are
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I’m glad I went. Just glad I didn’t go alone! Can you imagine what it would be like around Halloween? 😉
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Maybe they would do special tours with people dressed up and they would tell ghost stories 😀
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Somehow I bet they do it already.
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I’m sure they do 😀
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Those are creepy odd balls for this week. Love it though 😀
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Yah, right when you think you don’t have anything for an odd ball challenge something like this pops up…Thanks Cee.
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Absolutely fascinating, even if macabre! I quite like bones and cemeteries in general but I think this would freak me out a little just for the fact that they have been ‘artistically’ arranged. I’d still check it out though!
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Well said! It is creepy and fascinating all at the same time. I read somewhere that the people thought it disrespectful to just pile them down there so they started arranging them in an interesting fashion which somehow makes it more respectful. I must admit it does. But, then at the same time one doesn’t know which bones belong to which person.
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Hmm… I don’t know that it would bother me to see all of this. I just can’t quit thinking about the people who actually did the arranging. I mean, it’s one thing to look at these bones hundreds of years later and have no connections to these people, but to touch freshly deceased bones? How does that even work?!
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Well, I got the impression that they were just moving bones of people long dead but I’m not 100% sure. Either way it is a little unsettling.
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I would definitely love to visit. So fascinating.
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I wandered through a chapel in Evora, Portugal that featured human bones in a similar fashion. My camera died when I started taking photos. I took it as a message. 🙂 –Curt
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Ha no kidding. I would have thought the same thing. Wow, I have never heard of this happening anywhere else. Very cool.
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I really enjoyed seeing the Catacombs again – when I visited Paris with my family aged 15, it was top of my to-see list. Your photos are waaaay better than the ones I took though, thanks for sharing them with us all 😀
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Glad I could bring you back to great memories. I can’t imagine it has changed much since you were there.
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Pingback: Cee’s Odd Ball Photo Challenge: 2016 Week 31 – Cee's Photography
Congratulations! I have chosen your post to be featured on Cee’s Odd Ball Photo Challenge.
https://ceenphotography.com/2016/08/05/cees-odd-ball-photo-challenge-2016-week-31/
I sure hope you have a fabulous weekend. 😀
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Awesome, wonderful. Thank you so very much for considering me. I really appreciate it. Have a great weekend.
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I love cemeteries! I’ve not been to this one despite having visited Paris several times. I really need to rectify that. I’m glad to see, though, they allow photos – I visited the catacombs in Lima but photography was forbidden 😦
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They did not prevent anyone from taking photos. I generally try to be very respectful of that. I can’t recall now if they asked for no flash photography. That may have been the case.
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Pingback: Cee’s Weekly Wrap August 6, 2016 and WPC-Morning – Cee's Photography
My, my! You did make it to the catacombs! I never did, coz every time we think about it seeing the queue is enough to deter us. 😉
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It was kind of long. The line went fast, but still it is hard to sit still in the city when you know you could be doing other things.
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I can imagine. Ts why i never visited te catacombs. Now one of the advantages of Paris being deserted by tourists, is that there are no lines. I went to Orsay yesterday and the line was ten people long. 😇
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Is everyone out of town for the summer? When will they be back? School is starting for kids here this week and next so summer is over for a lot of people.
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August is THE traditional month for vacations here. More than half the people spend their hoidays in august, and school starts only in september. Now the thing is the absence of tourists. Very few. Most likely because of the terrorist attacks. 😡😡😡
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There were tons and tons of people there when I was there but a few things have happened since then. If airline prices are down that would be evidence. I haven’t looked recently.
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You’re right. It is. Agood indicator. But i can tell by the lack of people in the streets. Haven’t gone to Montmartre yet. That will be the ultimate test. It is normally pqcked this time of the yeqr. (As you noticed, some of my a’s turn into q’s. Using anAZERTY keyboard half the day on my french cel. 🤓
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A great mystery novel to read is THE BONES OF PARIS by Laurie R. King, showing the dark side of Jazz Age Paris. The catacombs feature of course, along with several surrealistic artists and photographers.
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Eeew, fun. Sounds interesting! Love it. Thank you.
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