we woke up, downed a quick bowl of cereal, then we were off to the metro.
the kids were do excited to ride the "subway."
at the third stop a peculiar man hopped on. we were packed in like sardines. he brought his guitar and put on a show. he wreaked of alcohol, had a gravely voice and spouted out french lyrics. he was standing right in front of me and Ryli. so close, that his guitar was practically touching our foreheads. we might've even been spit on a little.
if that wasn't enough, he started talking to me. asking for a request, i presume? i just looked at him, dumbfounded and said that i didn't speak french.
he proceeded to belt out another tune with a few english words mixed in. i wish i could've captured Ryli's expression. she was so uncomfortable, and embarrased for this man. everyone else in the train car just looked at me with apologies in their eyes. i found it quite humorous.
after our personal concert, we disembarked near the Catacombs.
when I was pregnant with Theo, Ty and I read the 39 Clues series. it's a great little adventure story about an orphaned brother and sister who have to search the world for clues to win a contest. in one of the books, the kids get lost in the Catacombs. Ty quickly added this place to his bucket list. i knew we had to check them out, and it is certainly a pleasure to cross anything off the bucket list of one of my children.
as we waited in line, a local approached us and told us that there were over a hundred stairs to get down, and it was a spiral staircase. Shane decided that he and Theo would sit it out. I tried to change his mind but he was adamant, and Theo was asleep in the stroller.
the older three and I proceeded.
here is the wiki-blurb:
The Catacombs of Paris or Catacombes de Paris are an underground ossuary in Paris, France. Located south of the former city gate (the "Barrière d'Enfer" at today's Place Denfert-Rochereau), the ossuary holds the remains of about 6 million people[1] and fills a renovated section of caverns and tunnels that are the remains of Paris' stone mines. Opened in the late 18th century, the underground cemetery became a tourist attraction on a small scale from the early 19th century, and has been open to the public on a regular basis from 1874. Following an incident of vandalism, they were closed to the public in September 2009 and reopened 19 December of the same year.[2]
The official name for the catacombs is l'Ossuaire Municipal. Although this cemetery covers only a small section of underground tunnels comprising "les carrières de Paris" ("the quarries of Paris"), Parisians today often refer to the entire tunnel network as "the catacombs".
so, the Catacombs were really cool. very dark, and a little spooky, but quite an experience. Ryli seemed bored with it, and wouldn't touch the bones. after seeing so many bones for nearly 2 kilometers we were ready for daylight, and lunch.
we found Shane and Theo and located a pizzeria that had come highly recommended. unfortunately, reservations were required. instead, we hit up the closest cafe. it was perfect.
the waiters were kind, and patient. we munched on fresh bread, and then our order arrived. the kids shared a giant grilled cheese. I ordered a sausages and fries, Shane ordered a delightful sandwich. we halved our orders and shared. I preferred his sandwich, ham, emmental, and tomato on a bed of lettuce and drizzled with raspberry vinagrette. divine!
chocolate mousse for dessert was delish.
after lunch, we stopped by a few little shops on the way to the metro. we were Eiffel Tower bound.
when we emerged from the underground to the Eiffel wonder, well, we were speechless.
moments like this, I find my hand searching for Shane's.
surreal.
a dream come true.
we strolled around the park area, then found a crepe stand. Ry and I had waffles- my new favorite french treat!
we sat by the Seine, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and basked in the glory that Paris is.
then we got cold, swallowed our pride, and hopped on a double decker bus. they work like taxi's, and the kids needed a rest.
after about an hour, we jumped off at the Louvre for a bathroom break. they weren't selling tickets anymore, and the babes were in no shape for fine art.
we walked through the attached mall and then ate at the food court. food courts are much fancier in France. Shane had greek, I had Gnocchi au Gratin and the kids had McDonalds. boo.
(french macaroons, to die for.)
after utilizing the free wi-fi hotspot, we took the metro home for the night. the apartment was still without internet...
