The Catacombs

Below the streets of Paris are the famous catacombs - a series of tunnels known for their winding and twisting passages, dark cervices, and millions of remains of human bones. Stories such as The Phantom of the Opera or Les Misérables come to mind when venturing below ground and encountering the dark side of Paris. The particular catacombs that John and I went to has been a Parisian attraction since the late 1800's. Since Paris is such an ancient city, naturally space to bury people became very limited over time and so a large mass removal and replacement of bones from various cemeteries happened around the end of the 18th century. Approximately six million human remains are contained within the catacombs, mostly stacked by bone type and even configured into shapes like hearts and crosses. What some people find grotesque others can find life assuring. To dust we come and to dust we go as they say. Regardless of one's feeling of death (and life), the catacombs is a very unique place to directly interact and contemplate Paris's past and present.