Today we are going to visit the catacombs. They’re close enough that we walked over to get in line. Sadly, because of the late night last night, everyone was dragging this morning, so our place in the line was grim. The line was long and we had no idea how long it would take. We waited for 3 hours and took turns going to get food from nearby restaurants. Hilary and MG went to get Sushi, while Ella, Michelle and I went to a nearby cafe and got a bad Caesar salad and split a burger.
When we were all back in line, we started to get the sense that it could still be several more hours until we got to the catacombs. Michelle, Hilary and Ella decided that it wasn’t worth it, so after 3 and a half hours, they bailed and went to look at other things in Paris, starting with macaron.
MG and I stuck it out for another 2 hours (picking up a little sunburn) and finally got to the front of the line. I think climbing the stairs underground, the smell, and the darkness finally made it clear to MG what we were doing. She started to get a little nervous and a little scared in the dark tunnels, but also excited. We explored the tunnels, enjoying the immense set of tunnels, the stacks of bones and skulls, and the ornate patterns made in the walls using bones. I think because of the spooky factor, (remember, MG was only 7) we moved through the catacombs fairly quickly. We were out in less than 30 minutes but did get to enjoy the bizarre and unique attraction. Was it worth 6 hours in a city of infinite options? Depends on who you ask. I thought it was amazing but would like to have a few more of those hours back in retrospect.
While we were underground, Hilly, Michelle and Ella went to Montmarte to see Moulin Rouge and explore the hill. They enjoyed a lovely afternoon snack of oak honey, salt and potatoes under chicken and a cheese plate. MG and I caught up to them just as they were finishing their snack.
Then we climbed to see the view from Sacré CÅ“ur, which is an amazing vantage point. It’s also bustling with locals and tourists alike. Hilary had hoped we could see the amazing footballer/trickster who does amazing feats of balance and ball handling, but it was his day off.
After exploring the alleyways around Montmarte, we wandered until we found a small restaurant that was open (early) so we could have a nice meal. We found one, too. It was a small place and everyone was thrilled with their meals. I don’t remember all of them, but I had an amazing roast duck dish, we got a terrine, someone got a ratatouille, and Michelle got a poached egg with mushroom cream.
We all agreed that while the neighborhood was amazing, we were zonked and needed a little down time. Plus, it was already 7pm and we had one last full day before we had to head back. So we retired to the apartment where Hilary showed us YouTube videos of the football magician.