After dropping off the car, I headed to Les Catacombes de Paris! Disappointed on Tuesday, I made sure to craft plans that would have me see the resting place for over six million Parisians. The ossuary was cool – and quite a bit different than the Sedlec ossuary I saw last year in the Czech Republic: this one featured fewer ornate decorations created by bones, but more signs. The catacombs themselves are the result of quarry mining hundreds of years ago. The quarry tunnels were reinforced hundreds of years ago when then were causing surface instabilities. In the late 1700s Paris had a problem: a lack of grave space. The tunnels then began to be used to store remains, with each “section” (which are kind of like a mini storage unit) bearing a sign with the date the remains were placed and some identifying information. Other signs included various expressions – most often in French, but sometimes in another language (I presume Latin) with or without a French translation (most non-French signs included a French translation that appeared original). Some pictures from Les Catacombes including some of my favourite signs are below – the lighting was dim and no flash photography was allowed, hence the dim light of the photos.
Oh, two final notes: Speaking some French has been wonderful – while I stumble on some sentences, I’ve had conversations up to about 20 minutes in French, and communicated with those who do not speak English. It’s too bad I didn’t do more to keep my French skills up after immersion. Finally, near the Juno museum there was one of the best “no dogs” signs I’ve ever seen: “Nos amis les chiens ne sont pas admis sur la plage” – roughly translated, “Our canine friends are not allowed on the beach.” If you have to tell people they can’t do something, this is quite a pleasant way to do so!
