For my fifth trip to Paris, we did something I have wanted to do on my previous four but had never managed to do - visit The Catacombs of Paris. The catacombs are the end result of transferring human remains from many cemeteries within the boundary of Paris to promote a cleaner, healthier environment for Parisians in the 17th and 18th centuries. Hopefully the Paris government will work on the scents emanating from the Metro, but that may be too hard an ask.
But back to the catacombs. We made it underground! It was a hot day in Paris, and we were not returning to our room in the middle of our wanderings, and the catacombs have a reputation of being cold. But I risked it and went in shorts and short sleeves. It was OK. It wasn't cold, just cool, and I was never uncomfortable.
Before you cross into the catacombs on the Avenue de Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, you are met with the things you cannot do. I believe this is not an exclusive list, so bringing explosives would also be a no-no, as would singing anything my Miley Cyrus. But don't touch the skulls and certainly don't write on them. No matter how clever the saying in your head is, that skull once belonged to a human being. No jack-assery, please.
Upon entering, you will descend a very long stone spiral staircase. Like, really long. Long enough to start getting dizzy. Upon reaching the bottom, there is more walking down dank, once-dark-but-now-well-lit tunnels carved out of the stone beneath Paris.
You will then pass the informational placards about the history of the catacombs and how the bodies got here. I didn't read many of them in the haste to put some distance to the people behind us. There are timed entries, so it isn't overwhelmingly busy like the Louvre is, but if you want to enjoy a bit of silence, some spacing is required. And after the placards come the bones.
This is just the beginning. Though not all the catacombs are open for public viewing, you will see thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of people, along your walk. And they are right there next to you. But don't touch - didn't you read the "don't do this list"?
Next to many of the bones are the year they were removed from the church and transported into the catacombs, and which churchyard they were removed from.
Some of the corridor showed artistry in the way the remains were placed.
When we reached the end of the catacombs, it was another very long spiral staircase trip up to the surface and gift shop. Pro tip: There are bathrooms at the end of the catacombs, and anyone can use them for free. Google maps will show you the way if you are looking for them.
It was definitely worth the trip into the bowels of Paris to look at the bones. Buy tickets early because like many attractions in Paris, they go quickly.