Day Thirteen – Catacombs; Louvre

Wednesday March 14

This is Logan's last full day in Paris so we let him decide where to go and what to do. 

The Catacombs of Paris

     This ghastly, grisly tourist 'attraction' in the 14th district is a former limestone quarry dating to early in the first millennium.  Near the end of 18th century it became the depository of remains because of rampant disease from improper and mass burials.

     The 'empire of the dead' holds the bones of several cemeteries.  Walls through the vaults are built out of the leg bones and skulls of the five or six million (!!!) interred there.  The tunnel and quarry system traverse hundreds of kilometers through as many as nine districts and pose a problem for new construction projects because of potential cave-in's.  There is also access through sewers, certain manholes, and the Metro, but these entrances are unauthorized and a stiff fine is imposed for violators, though enforcement is feeble.  The fine is not enough to deter some cataphiles who sneak in to explore and party.  A movie theater was discovered within in 2004, and Charles X was said to throw 'wild parties' there.  During WWII the French Resistance set up headquarters there.

    Seeing all those bones made us hungry so it was off to meet Amira for another 'best falafel' in the world. 

      Because of her, (and our), busy schedule this would be the last time we'd see her until her return to the USA.  But now fortified with fried chickpeas we were energized for the Louvre. 

     The place is way too huge to even scratch the surface in a few hours, so we zeroed in on a few of the more famous pieces.   It is said that a mere twenty percent of its holdings can be displayed at a time. 

Oddly, signs forbade photography in the 'Mona Lisa room', but there was no trouble getting close enough for a good look at the masterpiece. 

    Greek sculptures from the Hellenistic period 'Winged Victory', and another Greek piece, also from about 15O BC, 'Venus De Milo' were unarmed by time. 

And now, let's have look at some more fabulous ceilings, works of art themselves ala Versailles, that cover and protect some of the worlds great art...

The painting above is by impressionist Renoir.  I noted that the painting below didn't seem fastened to the wall very securely and someone said it was Toulouse.

Alayna and Logan gazed over the grounds of the Louvre from this perch in Sully, connector of Richelieu and Denon, the three main wings comprising the Louvre.

 Logans soaks up the imagery of these bigger than life murals depicting C.B. DeMille-like blockbuster battle scenes featuring a cast of thousands.

 The above scene of Christ and his 'loaves and fishes' episode get the enzymes flowing and remind us it will soon be time to have our last dinner together, in Paris, as a family.

Nicole picked this little place out and we enjoyed a relaxing, delicious meal.

      So far it's been a fantastic trip.  We've done almost everything on our to-do list, for this trip.   Plus the ever present threat of rain has been nonexistent for the duration of our visit.  My leg and back muscles are stronger than ever from all the walking and carrying rain gear everywhere. 

     And now we know what we'd like to do next time we come back.  More exploring in the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, and Versailles, and getting out of the city and into surrounding countryside.  But after we send Logan home in the morning there is still a couple things left on the list, such as museums Rodin and Orsay.

Day One Travel To Iberia

Day Two Marbella

Day Three Mijas

Day Four Granada

Day Five Gibraltar

Day Six Ronda

Day Seven Marbella

Day Eight Paris

Day Nine Pere Lachaise

Day Ten Louvre mall; in Notre Dame

Day Eleven Ste Chappelle; Le Tour Eiffle

Day Twelve Versailles; Musee D'Orsay

Day Fourteen Musee's D'Orsay, Rodin, Paris Modern Art

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