There are only a few pics in here. But that gives you an idea of the feel of the place. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Paris If you go here. http://www.catacombes.info/ (sorry, site in French) and click on the sewer plaque to enter, then on photos, it shows you a map of how wide it is under the City. (then you can click and see pics (with the arrows once you've reached text)) You can only officially visit about a mile of them. Unless you do it like I do, and use an actual sewer trap. It's like the abandonned metro (subway) tunnels. We only use 13% of them. (To give you an idea, 13% is that: http://www.loomji.fr/i/plan/metro/plan-metro-paris.gif Just imagine how big what's unused is.) There are people living there that never see the light of day. There are the best raves down there as well, where you can see stuff that rivals the Burning Man. Oddly enough, if you go to party down in the tunnels and catacombs (that sometimes meet up due to the fact that it's just one whole maze), you'll find tie wearing lawyer types next to a guy dressed like a cat and held on a leash next to your basic cokehead. That, my friend, you will never find on a tourist guide. ^^
I have read somewhere that NYC is twice as high underneath the earth that it is above. Twice the WTC in tunnels? Wow. I've always wanted to find the data for Paris and never could. But I'm pretty sure it'd be about the same. One day this whole thing will collapse. :/
So that's for the catacombs. Now. The subway obviously goes around town. Some stations, or the distance between them, are known for a smell they have. (Not the usual 'inside, bad ventillated, pee smell') It's like a sewer smell. When i was a kid, it used to be a lot more present, now they've worked at it a lot with ventillation system and you can only make it out in some place if you *know* and there's only a few places left where it can actually bother you. Any clue yet as to what it is? The subway tunnels go through the eart. Earth which was made by millions and millions of decomposed bodies put in mass graves. The smell is present where the tracks go through those. Sexy, isn't it? A lot of people would be disgusted by this. This just gives me a Castle-like 'It's so cool' impression. Because I am aware of the history around me when I find myself smelling it. and it's so awesome that youc an smell something that dates so far back and just won't stay in the past. It's also likely that I like it cause it's gross and creepy and involves dead bodies and it makes me feel like I'm in a movie or something. But I blame growing up with Buffy for that. :P
Oh, one more thing. If you ever get around to visiting Paris and are interested. Visiting the catacombs is awesome. However, if you are invited 'off the beaten path', be very careful that your 'guide' knows where they're going. There are 350km of tunnels for the catacombs alone. So, if you get lost, even if you find a sewer out, you can't be sure it'll be open. Every year we hear of search parties by cops and stuff that last for days. And that's for the people they know disapeared down there. :/
Underworld Paris - p.2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Paris
If you go here. http://www.catacombes.info/ (sorry, site in French) and click on the sewer plaque to enter, then on photos, it shows you a map of how wide it is under the City. (then you can click and see pics (with the arrows once you've reached text))
You can only officially visit about a mile of them.
Unless you do it like I do, and use an actual sewer trap. It's like the abandonned metro (subway) tunnels. We only use 13% of them. (To give you an idea, 13% is that: http://www.loomji.fr/i/plan/metro/plan-metro-paris.gif Just imagine how big what's unused is.)
There are people living there that never see the light of day. There are the best raves down there as well, where you can see stuff that rivals the Burning Man. Oddly enough, if you go to party down in the tunnels and catacombs (that sometimes meet up due to the fact that it's just one whole maze), you'll find tie wearing lawyer types next to a guy dressed like a cat and held on a leash next to your basic cokehead.
That, my friend, you will never find on a tourist guide. ^^
I have read somewhere that NYC is twice as high underneath the earth that it is above. Twice the WTC in tunnels? Wow. I've always wanted to find the data for Paris and never could. But I'm pretty sure it'd be about the same. One day this whole thing will collapse. :/
So that's for the catacombs. Now.
The subway obviously goes around town. Some stations, or the distance between them, are known for a smell they have. (Not the usual 'inside, bad ventillated, pee smell') It's like a sewer smell.
When i was a kid, it used to be a lot more present, now they've worked at it a lot with ventillation system and you can only make it out in some place if you *know* and there's only a few places left where it can actually bother you.
Any clue yet as to what it is?
The subway tunnels go through the eart. Earth which was made by millions and millions of decomposed bodies put in mass graves. The smell is present where the tracks go through those.
Sexy, isn't it?
A lot of people would be disgusted by this. This just gives me a Castle-like 'It's so cool' impression. Because I am aware of the history around me when I find myself smelling it. and it's so awesome that youc an smell something that dates so far back and just won't stay in the past. It's also likely that I like it cause it's gross and creepy and involves dead bodies and it makes me feel like I'm in a movie or something.
But I blame growing up with Buffy for that. :P
Oh, one more thing. If you ever get around to visiting Paris and are interested. Visiting the catacombs is awesome.
However, if you are invited 'off the beaten path', be very careful that your 'guide' knows where they're going. There are 350km of tunnels for the catacombs alone. So, if you get lost, even if you find a sewer out, you can't be sure it'll be open. Every year we hear of search parties by cops and stuff that last for days. And that's for the people they know disapeared down there. :/
A few more pics.
The 'official version of the Catacombs'
http://www.worldhotelplan.com/wp-content/gallery/paris/catacombes_de_paris.jpg
This guy has beautiful, high quality pics
http://denisetinparis.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/i-see-dead-people-part-deux-les-catacombes/
'Another' version
http://kyanisaurus.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/catacombes_de_paris_catacombs.jpg?w=640&h=426
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jd_images/6728712115/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexandrafaure/