Day of the Dead

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Last night we walked over to the Louvre to see the Pyramid and the gardens of les Tuileries. Inside the courtyard of the Louvre and within the gardens it is very peaceful and quiet.

Wandering around Pere-Lachaise Cemetery this morning we found the graves of many famous people, including Georges Bizet (just for you, Maddie & Arden!), Gertrude Stein & Alice B. Toklas, Colette, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Georges Seurat, Richard Wright... We looked for Maria Callas but couldn't find her. This cemetery is huge - 110 acres - and is absolutely filled with graves.

After lunch, we headed to the Catacombs to cool off! It's been very warm here, mid- to high 80's, and of course much more humid than we're used to. The catacombs in Paris are about 20 m underground - below the Metro and sewers. They hold the bones from multiple cemeteries that used to be within the city but were deamed unsanitary in the late 1700's and early 1800's. The bones were dug up and transported to what used to be underground limestone quarries. Most of the bones that can be seen are skulls and femurs, placed in, shall we say, 'interesting' patterns. We assume that the other bones are behind them. Each section has a plaque stating which cemetery the bones came from and the date they were moved. It was worth visiting and something Cathleen's students often ask about so she's glad she went (she visited the catacombs in Rome many moons ago, but those are very different - they were hiding places for early Christians and didn't have nearly as many bones).

We're watching the Men's Finals of the French Open on tv -- will Federer be able to pull it off?

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Photos

Dan in the Catacombs
This photo gives a sense of perspective as to how many bones are down there; rooms upon rooms upon rooms were just like this one.

Institut de France
A photo of the Institut de France, just between our apartment and the river, with the French flag.

Louvre Iron Gate with Pyramid
View of the Grand Pyramid du Louvre through an iron gate.

For Maddie & Judy
Friday and Saturday we've seen many musicians around the city, mostly in the Metro, but here is a cellist we found playing the courtyard of the Louvre.

Pyramid at Sunset
Dan took this shot of the Pyramid with the sun at the apex and the shadow of the Pyramid in the foreground.

Louvre and Pyramid
Showing the juxtaposition of old and modern.

Jardins des Tuileries
Relaxing in the Jardins des Tuileries.

Canal St. Martin
The trees reflected in the Canal St. Martin

Overview of a section Pere Lachaise
Looking down on a section of the cemetery.

Hooray for Bizet!
Maddie and Arden love the music of Bizet, thanks to Little Einsteins, so this one's for our girls!

Bones from the Cemetery of the Innocents
The sign reads: Bones from the Cemetery of the Innocents, placed here April 1786.

Bullet wound?
It appears the skull on the right reveals a bullet wound.