Firefighters, Bones, & Jim Morrison

17Jul08

For those of you that didn’t know, Monday, July 14th was Bastille Day – a national celebration of the formation of the modern French nation and the reconciliation of the constitutional monarchy. It can be better described however, as a quite large, alcohol-fueled, naked, techno party. For immediate evidence of this fact, please refer to the adjacent photograph. For further evidence, check out the photo album.

Now before delving deeper into details, I would like to announce the end of my teaching career: I will now be pursuing Parisian firefighting…

Though Bastille Day was officially Monday, the major (and most popular) celebrations began on Sunday night with the Bal des Pompiers – Firemen’s Ball. Across the city, firehalls opened their doors and became the location of massive parties, in which firefighters acted as bartenders, security guards, and most importantly, objects of desire. After an incredible wait in line, we finally entered and found paradise. For me, endless Champagne and Heineken; for Natalie, naked firefighters. Greeting us at the door for example, were several women and firefighters dancing on a bar, who moments later were locked in a quite large public display of affection. These were also the same men who were later serving us beer, as they rotated through the various occupations. Obviously, the spontaneous stripping was a crowd favourite.

Needless to say, the night was one that will not be soon forgotten – I’m quite certain all firefighters join simply for these two nights (the same parties happened again on Monday night). What makes it even better, is the fact that these firefighters marched proudly (and perhaps slightly hungover) the next morning in the military parade – a display of French military resources, which made its way down Champs-Élysées early Monday morning. Click here to check out some photos of the parade, along with Eiffel Tower Fireworks and here to see more of the Bal des Pompiers.

“Anyone Caught Stealing Bones Will Be Taken Directly to The Police” (viewer discretion)

On Tuesday afternoon, we made a somewhat morbid (though incredibly unique) trip to The Catacombs of Paris – an 18th Century underground ossuary that was created to help solve both a public health & over-population problem. Prior to its construction, most of Paris’ largest churches had their own cemeteries, but city growth and generations of dead soon began to overwhelm them – so much so that neighbouring populations began to suffer from disease due to improper burials and mass graves. After much deliberation, a decision was made to condemn most of these cemeteries and relocate their remains to a vast network of subterranean tunnels and caverns located directly beneath the city. Now a tourist destination, the Catacombs are indescribable – millions upon millions of now anonymous skeletal remains, arranged in an artistic fashion throughout kilometers of underground tunnels – only two of which are open to the public.

Click here if you would like to see more pictures of our adventure to The Catacombs.

“Come on Baby Light My Fire”

Over the weekend, we also made a visit to the largest cemetery in Paris: Pere Lachaise Cemetery. One of the most visited cemeteries in the world, Pere Lachaise is home to over 300,000 residents, which are housed within incredible Sepultures and family tombs. Throughout the cemetery lay many of the world’s most influencial people including Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt, Frederic Chopin, and of course, James Douglas Morrison. Luckily, we were armed with a map to guide us through the 120 acre labyrinth.