So it was this advertisement for an English school with the whole basis that one can learn "Wall Street English"
It was even called the Wall Street Institute
But then I see this guy with the British flag on his tongue... Do you think they know Wall Street is in America???
I don't know which I liked better- the Subway or the Metro...
There was a lot more grafitti on the Metro, more hobos, and the mapping was more confusing. The stations seemd to have all these secret tunnels and stairs and turns and twists and I was absolutely confused but they always seemed to know where they were going... I swear you would have thought they lived there!!
I got a kick out of the turnstiles too!
Despite the cons, it had some pros. We saw this really cool violinist... She had some skill. It was electric and it would just echo so I thought it was pretty cool! Pascaline and Nicolas prefered the Metro to the Subway but I think they were a tad bit biased! I don't think any underground transportation system is exactly clean but it's absolutely vital to the hussle and bussle of any big city.
One thing I hate though is it seems like everyone is always sad and depressed... Even I get the "slump"! It's contagious I swear! Seriously, you look around and nobody is smiling... Just waiting for their stop...Parking is near impossible in Paris so it was pretty convenient for us.
This was the biggest escalator I had ever seen... You can't really tell from the picture though!
I had gone on the other escalator... And Mailys was just sideways going up and it looked really funny...
So after the Metro fun... We arrived! The Paris Catacombs!!! We waited in the line but we got a few things to eat at a bakery nearby so it wasn't too bad... Nicolas felt proud of himself because he was able to telling an English speaking couple where the bakery was!
Kinda a funny moment... Jeremy and Mailys were fighting over this sugar packet for some reason. It was open so while it was getting tugged it flew everywhere and most of it landed on the jacket of the guy in front of us... It was hilarious! I should have gotten a picture but it just stuck there the entire time! We were just picturing him taking off his coat later and being like "Why is there sugar all over this?" Haha!!!
The Catacombs were set up when Paris's largest cementery, the Cimetiere des Saints-Innocents, was shut down for public-health reason. The bones from all the city's cemeteries were stored in disused limestone quarries. So we went down about 130 steps 20 meter below ground.
We walked through these dark corridors that were a little eery...
Haha and we were all about riled up because we knew what was coming at the end of it.
It was actually a bit of a walk but we entertained ourselves with trying to scare each other :)
They had all these black lines on the ceiling of the corridors and I found out that they were so vistors could get their berrings before it was all lit...
It got more and more intense as we descended... The visitor's guide said "The tour is not suitable for...those of a nervous disposition"! Haha so keep that in mind before you go those of you who are of a nervous disposition! :-)
And finally we arrived to the entrance... I felt like I had walked into an Edgar Allan Poe story! Ever read "The Cask of Amontillado"? Freaky stuff... On a little riff, I really like Edgar Allan Poe! I know his stories and poems are unrealistically creepy but there is something about how he delivers them that I can totally appreciate! I believe they are just hauntingly beautiful!!! "Annabell Lee" is one of my favorite poems ever! Haha it's surprising because I'm not into revenge, creepiness, darkness, or any of that... I'm quite the opposite in fact! So not many people would not think he was my style... Well on the contraire! After the tough life he had, I'm not surprised his stories are the way they are! Okay back to the catacombs...
This means "Stop! This is the empire of death!" Haha I am sure! So scary!!! Haha
Holy skeletons!!! They had a bunch of signs that talked about the "fragility of human life" trying to freak us out...
I love my face here!
All these remains make up what is called an ossuary which is just a final resting place for the bones of the dead.
Their nice camera wasn't really working down here and my crappy camera did pretty well fortunately which was kinda a flip:-) We weren't supposed to use flash photography but everyone else was so we gave into peer pressure...
How creepy is this??? The skulls are in the shape of a heart which is quite the opposite of death!
Then this one makes a cross...
Haha I would make some odd faces...
This skeleton looks like a grandpa... You know? Like without teeth and just a gummy smile :-)
I started off thoroughly disgusted but then I ended up thinking it was pretty cool... I was even picking up the bones!
Some people even try to steal the bones in bags so at the end they had this pile of bones they had confiscated from searching bags...
Look at these buddies! I bet these guys were best friends when they were living!
Now this guy had teeth which was just a tad bit creepy!
I even touched um!
And then I gave him a kiss...
...but then we decided we would be better as friends!
The first bones came in around 1787 and they were just thrown in the corridors but in 1810, the Catacombs began to be arranged in the orderly fashion, "forming a decorative facade with skulls and long bones"... Decorative facade eh? Mmm... Hmm....Haha
The ceiling had water dripping from it... Seriously just eery!
I was tip toeing through all of this! But Mailys's boots got totally soiled!
Imagine getting locked up in this place! But it would be a great setting for a Halloween party!
Gilbert's Tomb! It's not actually a tomb but it has some verses by the poet Gilbert written on it. He however was buried elsewhere.
The Catacombs are really cool because they aren't like the classical pretty Paris! It's more of the grotesque "behind the scenes" Paris!
Everyone had different ideas of fun during the trip... Like Mailys did not want to go to museums etc... But the Catacombs were definetely agreeable for all! :) Definetly one of my favorite things we did!
There was only 83 steps on the ascent...
...but they were like twice as big!
So seeing all those creepy skeletons made us all very hungry so we went to lunch at the Cafe Daguerre
I got me some beef! It had this really good pepper sauce
These cheesy potatoes were so good! They were buttery and delicious! I could feel myself getting fatter as I ate um!
And then having dessert didn't help that whole fat thing! But seriously who can resist a Nutella crepe! These are like heaven! And the cinnamon sugar added a nice touch! :-)
Nicolas made me finish his dessert too which was also really good! It was like this fancy peach dutch oven pie with this creamy white sauce and rasberry drizzle. I felt so full by the end of it! We took the metro again and ended up right at the heart of the manifestation! I had talked about the striking in an earlier post if you don't know what's going on! Again... I am only 17... I can't get majorly into politics and all that but I know this was crazy business!
I would want to be on the top of a car!
The crowd was huge!
On a completely unrelated note... Here is the back of the Opera House!
Haha the guy with the street flare!
They had music blasting...
Haha the ones who only half-heartedly agreed with the cause got put behind the guy with the flare! That's how I feel walking into school a lot!!!
The French S.W.A.T. were ready to take on the crowd if things got violent!
I was actually surpised to see some kids in the mix... Most likely not by their own accord...
Pascaline insisted we take a picture with the police guys! Haha :) I'm pretty sure they were used to people asking them for pictures so it was cool. And they weren't doing anything productive!
Do you see the little airplane??
This is when we crossed the street! Haha oober fun!
We went into this store called Galleries Lafayette! And like I said... Christmas gets going the second Halloween is finished!
The place was huge! 7 floors! It kinda reminded me of Bloomingdales! It's pretty expensive so we only browsed for a little and I liked going on all the escalators! Reminded me of Elf! Haha :)
This was the biggest Christmas tree I have ever seen!
So this lady was giving out samples of this apple perfume and so I let her spray me and she started blabbing about the perfume. I understood nothing so I just nod and walk away... Haha
The sample came on this little stick with red fabric in the shape of an apple and I didn't want it so I stuck in Mailys's hood and she didn't notice at all!
After Mailys noticed, I put it in Pascaline's!
But she took off her jacket just after because it was so hott in there so the thing fell out.
Then we went to see the front of the Opera House... This means the National Academy of Music just in case you couldn't figure that out ;-)
This is actually the place the Phantom of the Opera is set in! I've seen it twice one of which was on Broadway in NY so I thought it was so cool and I love the music!
"Think of Me", "Masquerade", "Angel of Music", and "The Music of the Night" are my favorites! And I think "All I Ask of You" would be a cute wedding song! "Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime" "Love me, that's all I ask of you"
Then we went to this cute little tea salon and chilled for a bit! Haha Nicolas gave me some to try and I just drank the whole glass! It was nice and warm because outside was freezing!
The kids got some macaroons! Chocolate? Heck yes!
Haha we had a little gum pile going...
When I went to go to the bathroom, they all tried to ditch me but I saw them fleeing to the other side of the street! But I was stricken with fear for about 2 seconds! Haha :-)
Nicolas the entire trip was always way behind the group!!!
Mailys was always worried about him so she would go get him!
"Found Him!"
After a long day, everyone was all really tired...
We got off the RER and we were walking these stairs up to the exit and I was talking and somehow I tripped and I smashed right into the bags Nicolas was carrying and I couldn't stop laughing for so long. I am just so clumsy and it comes at the funniest moments.
This night was really fun! We got the fire going and Nicolas was being a typical guy and being all technical about it and I was just like "Squirt some lighter fluid on that sucker!" Haha :-) We started playing the "don't let the balloon touch the ground" game but then we had to stop because we couldn't play by the fire so while the adults were all talking, the kids entertained themselves with going down to the basement and playing soccer! It was so much fun! We could make all the noise we wanted in this concrete room! Capucine would get the ball and she would just do her own thing for a few minutes which was pretty funny. There was minimal injuries. At one point, I got left all alone in there and they turned off all the lights! So I just stood there and screamed (not for serious!) The kids thought it was hilarious this big kid was screaming in the dark...
For dinner, Nicolas's brother and his family came. The food was very good but for some reason, it just didn't hit the spot and I wasn't very hungry so I would put my potatoes and vegetables on Mailys's plate! The concept of a 17 yr old trying to put vegetables on a 9 yr old's plate just seemed so funny!
Their house had the same thing where the toilet and the bathroom were separate. So later that night, Pascaline and I were walking up the stairs and we see this in the hall way...
Stanilas was sitting on the toilet, with the door wide open, completely naked, and grinning like no other! Haha we were just laughing!
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