Today was an exciting day for me. New stuff all around.
The thing that David most wanted to do was the catacombs. I had read online that you have to get there early, or risk standing in line all day. So, we got there about half an hour before they opened, and the line was already pretty freakin' long. Ah, well. By the time it actually opened, the line was probably 10 times as long, so I'm really glad we got there when we did. As it was, we didn't get in until about half an hour after it opened. Luckily, even though it was a bit sprinkley, it wasn't bad out.
The catacombs are pretty neat. Back in the 1800s, the living people of Paris decided that the dead ones were taking up too much room. So, they (the dead ones) were relocated to tunnels that were leftover from quarries that ran under the city. They are neatly stacked, and sometimes designs were made with the skulls. It was pretty much all long bones and skulls, though. Not sure what happened to pelvises and scapulas and such. It was pretty dark, and so hard to get pictures, but I got a few good ones. I discovered that the iPhone makes a tolerable light source when trying to light up a single skull.
At the exit, there's a catacomb-themed shop. Pretty cute. We got some drinks and headed back to the entrance to pick up Jen. (She doesn't like small places, so she waited back at the beginning).
We then headed over to Notre Dame, to see if we could go up inside the towers. By now, it was raining pretty steadily, but still not pouring. There was a huge line, but we couldn't tell if it was for the towers, because I thought I remembered the tower entrance as being around the side. So, David & I went around to check, and sure enough, there was a separate line for the towers, and it, too, looked pretty long. We decided not to spend the rest of our day waiting in a soggy line for just one thing. It made me very glad that I had seen the inside of the cathedral last night, though!
We were feeling a bit peckish, but I really thought they would enjoy lunch in Montmartre, so we picked up some crepes with Nutella. Spectacular.
We hopped back on the metro (I do love the transportation pass!) to see the Opera House. This was another thing that I missed last time. I really wanted to see the inside, but I would have been mostly content with just the outside. It has odd hours, so we didn't know if it would be open for visits right then. But, it was! It is so gorgeous. It is called the Palais Garnier (Palace Garnier, after the guy who designed it), and it definitely earns the name of palace! It isn't as huge as Versailles, obviously, but it rivals it in opulence.
I also loved that they had a bunch of costumes on display. I adore costumes. There were a bunch in the common areas, and then there was also a whole exhibit of them in one of the side areas. We got to see sketches and costumes from many years past. I was enthralled.
The gift shop was lots of fun, too. I was proud of myself for not buying any of the 40 euro masquerade masks. (Note added later - when I got home, I realized that I have a birthday coming up, and I should have bought myself one of those dang masks).
Then it was off to Montmartre. I had Em find where we were and how to get where we were going. She did a great job! We took the funicular up the hill and came out at Sacre Coeur. I remembered right how to get to the lunch area where we had eaten last time. In Brugge, David had really liked the little art fair area, so I thought he would like it here, where the cafes are all under tents in the middle, and the artists are set up all around. I was a bit afraid that the artists wouldn't be out in the rain, but they were!
We had a lovely lunch at the same place where we had lunch last time. David was a bit disappointed that they didn't have baguette sandwiches (he wanted a baguette in Paris), but he discovered a very yummy prosciutto pizza! I had thought that a wander through Montmarte would be a nice way to spend the afternoon, but it was too rainy to be fun. We did go to a little macaroon shop (the same one that was too expensive to buy our cat-feeder gift last time) and bought a macaroon for each of us, and one to take home to Max.
We headed back to the hotel for a bit of a rest and to dry our feet. Jen, David & I went back out later to see the Arc de Triumph and the Eiffel Tower, though we didn't go in either of them. When we got back, Em & I went across the street for a dessert platter that we had seen there the night before but hadn't gotten. It was lovely. :)
Emma says- The catacombs were AWESOME!!! Not only were they neato, but they had so many bones! You can't even tell in the pictures how deep the piles of bones were. They made really pretty patterns with them, which I thought was really interesting. The Capuchin Crypt in Rome was cooler, because they made furniture and chandeliers out of the bones, but this one was cool, too. It was neat to see where the Phantom of the Opera lives. It was really pretty. I enjoyed the costumes, there was one that I liked especially. It was red and kind of ballet-like. Lunch in Montmartre was delicious. I had a ham and cheese crepe. I even enjoyed the rain. I didn't feel like going back to the Arc de Triumph and the Eiffel Tower again, but I'm glad that Mom & I went out for dessert. We had creme brulee, chocolate mousse, fruit salad, and strawberry cheesecake ice cream.
The thing that David most wanted to do was the catacombs. I had read online that you have to get there early, or risk standing in line all day. So, we got there about half an hour before they opened, and the line was already pretty freakin' long. Ah, well. By the time it actually opened, the line was probably 10 times as long, so I'm really glad we got there when we did. As it was, we didn't get in until about half an hour after it opened. Luckily, even though it was a bit sprinkley, it wasn't bad out.
The catacombs are pretty neat. Back in the 1800s, the living people of Paris decided that the dead ones were taking up too much room. So, they (the dead ones) were relocated to tunnels that were leftover from quarries that ran under the city. They are neatly stacked, and sometimes designs were made with the skulls. It was pretty much all long bones and skulls, though. Not sure what happened to pelvises and scapulas and such. It was pretty dark, and so hard to get pictures, but I got a few good ones. I discovered that the iPhone makes a tolerable light source when trying to light up a single skull.
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| David's camera was better than mine in the low light |
At the exit, there's a catacomb-themed shop. Pretty cute. We got some drinks and headed back to the entrance to pick up Jen. (She doesn't like small places, so she waited back at the beginning).
We then headed over to Notre Dame, to see if we could go up inside the towers. By now, it was raining pretty steadily, but still not pouring. There was a huge line, but we couldn't tell if it was for the towers, because I thought I remembered the tower entrance as being around the side. So, David & I went around to check, and sure enough, there was a separate line for the towers, and it, too, looked pretty long. We decided not to spend the rest of our day waiting in a soggy line for just one thing. It made me very glad that I had seen the inside of the cathedral last night, though!
We were feeling a bit peckish, but I really thought they would enjoy lunch in Montmartre, so we picked up some crepes with Nutella. Spectacular.
We hopped back on the metro (I do love the transportation pass!) to see the Opera House. This was another thing that I missed last time. I really wanted to see the inside, but I would have been mostly content with just the outside. It has odd hours, so we didn't know if it would be open for visits right then. But, it was! It is so gorgeous. It is called the Palais Garnier (Palace Garnier, after the guy who designed it), and it definitely earns the name of palace! It isn't as huge as Versailles, obviously, but it rivals it in opulence.
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| Palais Garnier |
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| Cool light out front |
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| Odd |
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| Without the frogs |
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| The grand staircase |
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| It's hard to tell, but this is the stage with the orchestra pit in front. They were testing, so it was dark |
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| The other side of the theater |
I also loved that they had a bunch of costumes on display. I adore costumes. There were a bunch in the common areas, and then there was also a whole exhibit of them in one of the side areas. We got to see sketches and costumes from many years past. I was enthralled.
 |
| This was made out of sheet music |
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| Crowns |
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| Shoes & hats |
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| The Lady of the Lake |
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| From Turandot |
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| A cool "sketch" for a costume, made like a Rorschach test |
The gift shop was lots of fun, too. I was proud of myself for not buying any of the 40 euro masquerade masks. (Note added later - when I got home, I realized that I have a birthday coming up, and I should have bought myself one of those dang masks).
Then it was off to Montmartre. I had Em find where we were and how to get where we were going. She did a great job! We took the funicular up the hill and came out at Sacre Coeur. I remembered right how to get to the lunch area where we had eaten last time. In Brugge, David had really liked the little art fair area, so I thought he would like it here, where the cafes are all under tents in the middle, and the artists are set up all around. I was a bit afraid that the artists wouldn't be out in the rain, but they were!
We had a lovely lunch at the same place where we had lunch last time. David was a bit disappointed that they didn't have baguette sandwiches (he wanted a baguette in Paris), but he discovered a very yummy prosciutto pizza! I had thought that a wander through Montmarte would be a nice way to spend the afternoon, but it was too rainy to be fun. We did go to a little macaroon shop (the same one that was too expensive to buy our cat-feeder gift last time) and bought a macaroon for each of us, and one to take home to Max.
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| Pizza! |
We headed back to the hotel for a bit of a rest and to dry our feet. Jen, David & I went back out later to see the Arc de Triumph and the Eiffel Tower, though we didn't go in either of them. When we got back, Em & I went across the street for a dessert platter that we had seen there the night before but hadn't gotten. It was lovely. :)
Emma says- The catacombs were AWESOME!!! Not only were they neato, but they had so many bones! You can't even tell in the pictures how deep the piles of bones were. They made really pretty patterns with them, which I thought was really interesting. The Capuchin Crypt in Rome was cooler, because they made furniture and chandeliers out of the bones, but this one was cool, too. It was neat to see where the Phantom of the Opera lives. It was really pretty. I enjoyed the costumes, there was one that I liked especially. It was red and kind of ballet-like. Lunch in Montmartre was delicious. I had a ham and cheese crepe. I even enjoyed the rain. I didn't feel like going back to the Arc de Triumph and the Eiffel Tower again, but I'm glad that Mom & I went out for dessert. We had creme brulee, chocolate mousse, fruit salad, and strawberry cheesecake ice cream.
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| The dress Em liked |
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