Max and the Catacombs

One of the reasons we decided to visit Paris was to visit a friend of mine, who I met while volunteering in Beijing. She is currently studying in Paris, so it was the perfect opportunity.

Before we travelled to Paris, we booked to go to the Catacombs with Max; I didn't know too much about them but was looking forward to the day.

We started off with a continental breakfast in our hotel, followed by a stroll to Les Invalides. This was formally the Hôtel national des Invalides, now a complex of buildings containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's original purpose. The complex is also home to the Dôme des Invalides, the tallest Church in Paris at a height of 107 meters, with the tombs of some of France's war heroes, most notably Napoleon.



After visiting the tomb, we also visited the museum dedicated to the Two World Wars from 1871 to 1945; as well as learning about the wars in general, we also learned lots about Charles de Gualle. It was really worth a visit and wish we could have stayed longer.



We were slightly pressed for time as we were due to meet Max at the catacombs at 3pm, but we had a stop to make on the way. There was a deal to buy half price tickets to the Montparnasse Tower, a 210-metre office skyscraper with a viewing platform at the top. As we went in, we were told it was too foggy to see anything; we didn't quite believe them as we could see the top of the tower from the ground and went up to take a look.

We should have listened; it was all a whiteout, as you can see from the pictures!



We quickly left the tower, ready for a short walk to the catacombs. It just so happened that as we were leaving, we realised we had forgotten to bring the tickets; thankfully, a lovely hotel receptionist at the Savoy printed everything out for us.

We got to the catacombs slightly early and headed to Paul, a patisserie, for a very chocolatey eclair which we demolished in two bites. After walking for so long, it was much needed.

At 3pm, we met Max and headed 20 meters underground. There were 131 steps which took us to the start of the 1.5 kilometre circuit.  The catacombs are underground ossuaries which hold the remains of more than two million people. It is quite an eerie experience as the bones and skulls are piled high through some of the tunnels. We didn't linger too long and were pleased to ascend the 112 steps at the other side.








As it was only 4pm, and dinner wasn't booked until 7pm, we decided to walk to the Latin Quarter and go to a cafe for a drink and a chat; we had a great time catching up and reminiscing about our time in Beijing.


At 7pm, we headed to La Jacobine, a typical Parisian restaurant located in a glass-covered passageway. It was a fabulous little place with the best service. We had a feast between us, including foie gras, coq au vin and beef bourguignon. I may also have had a nutella tiramisu which was just gluttonous.






After dinner, we went our separate ways. We decided to have one for the road as the area is quite lively and typically Parisian. We sat outside, people-watching and enjoying the heat from the heaters before decided it was time to head back to the hotel for the night.


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