Bones and goodbyes

For every new charm is another goodbye, to people, places, a favorite food, the list goes on. Today was my last day in Paris. I know, I've had quite a few of those... I guess it became the city I couldn't leave. With so many famous attractions and hidden gems, it's hard not to find a niche there, no matter what you're in the mood for.

Especially if you're in the mood for getting scammed. Today I waited in line with a girl I met in Bruges to buy a metro pass for the day. I was very excited because I had finally figured out the strategy for choosing a ticket depending on the day's destination(s). I've developed a love-hate relationship with Paris' transport system, which is elaborate and convenient and efficient and used... It's also a playground for bumping into irritated locals and staring at maps very minute or two. Anyway, I approached the machine with confidence in my hard-earned understanding. In line, Elyse and I wondered about the man in a blazer standing next to the machine, helping people (tourists) figure its ins and outs, so we were weary but interested. He asked if we needed help and I said what we needed but continued to maneuver the buttons myself, until he said, "no that's in zone 4"... He started pushing buttons and I changed them so we could pay separately but in the end my card didn't work (as it usually didn't in those metal beasts but every once in a while made life easy...), so he offered his own and I paid him back in cash. Long story short, he was very sneaky in changing the ticket I actually bought for one that didn't get us very far, charging me for a whole day worth of zones that I never intended to visit. Another lesson learned: when someone tries to help before asked, hold onto the confidence you once had. In the heat of the moment it's hard to accuse someone of cheating, but the frustration that follows such trickery is like a leech. Benefit of the doubt is a treasure that must be handled with care, for if you give it out too easily, you'll waste 11 euro and the satisfaction of mastering a system, but if you refuse it to anyone, why live in this world community at all? Life is tricky, just like the metro system.

Fortunately, I was not in the mood for being scammed this week, and nothing worse happened like that. I was in the mood for croissants, and I always will be now. When I wanted to connect to another lifetime, I went to a museum or somewhere frozen in time. Like the catacombs. My friend and I visited them this morning, and after waiting in like for two hours(!), we descended into the Lutetian stone, which dates back 4,500 million years. Many buildings in Paris were built with this limestone, which explains why quarries underground provided space for workers mine the rock.

Down below, 120,000 square feet hold all the bones that once rested in the Cemetery of Innocents. In the late 1700s the bones were moved into the quarries that lay all throughout Paris. Now inside the sea of quarries are bones and bones and bones. At first the bones were simply dumped underground, but the king made it into a proper memorial by arranging them. The bones are stacked and create a wall, while skulls are lined up amongst the femurs and shins to create a kind of decorum. And these walls of human bones go on and on and on. It's incredible to be amongst so many remains of unnamed figures, all stacked up and mixed together, yet somehow strong and dignified. The catacombs provided an interest glance at the interests of humanity throughout history, from the men who carved out the walls of the quarries to the king who insisted on respecting the parts, to the shutterbugs (more flashers today) that gawk and stroll pass the explanations. So the underground scene was worth the wait, and we enjoyed two crepes to weigh us down.

Crepes, scenic walks, new friends, quiet time...all things I felt for and found. Days and nights on the Seine became my favorite pass-time, and exploring without much of a destination was always in the cards. Traveling alone gave me complete freedom to pursue my own singular desires, and how often does one get to do that?! What I heard was true, that it's harder to find time without others when traveling alone, as many have experiences to share and words to get out (especially to someone who can understand them). But what I've also discovered is how easy it is to be alone, and how rewarding. The freedom to focus on everything surrounding you while at the same time what's happening within... It's beautiful, really. And it creates an energy for times when you are with others and makes those moments all the more special.

Especially those at McDonald's. Ha! Just kidding, but I did to to McD's today. The last place I expected to go, but it was filled with Parisians and I went for the wifi. I also was curious about the difference between the countries' head honcho of fast food. And it was. Somehow the French even manage to have classy McDonalds. Let's just say they know how to sauce up their fries.

So goodbye for now is what I'll finish with, for who knows when Paris will lure me in again (I'll admit I've already started planning my next trip to Europe, but I'll focus now. Inspiration is oozing). On with the show. Next stop: Carcassonne, south France.