Exercise 1b, page 116.0:01
The dark side of the City of Lights.0:07
The idea of my first trip to Paris in June conjured up images of taking photos from the Eiffel Tower, sipping coffee at a pavement café, and strolling alongside the River Seine.0:11
Little did I know that I would be creeping along a cold dungeon-like tunnel examining human skulls.0:23
But as we waited in the queue to visit the popular Paris Catacombs, my French friend Colette assured me that while it might seem a bit creepy, it was one of the capital's most fascinating attractions, and I definitely wouldn't0:28
It had taken over an hour and a half to get in, so as we descended 19 meters down a chilly, dimly lit winding staircase, I actually began to experience a sense of anticipation.0:42
But I soon changed my tune again as we came to the end of a passageway, As far as the eye could see, there were pale bones and skulls neatly stacked along the sides of a narrow tunnel.0:53
Never before had I seen such a sinister spectacle.1:05
Our guide explained that originally these were underground limestone quarries which provided the stone for some of Paris's greatest buildings, including the Louvre and Notre Dame.1:08
After a whole street caved into the ground in 1774, Small tunnels were dug for inspectors to enter and prevent more collapses.1:18
Soon a network of tunnels was formed.1:27
Then in 1786, water supply started to be contaminated by decomposing bodies from overcrowded cemeteries.1:30
As a result, 6 million skeletons were moved below, transforming the quarries into catacombs.1:38
The most recent date from the French Revolution, but the oldest could be more than 1,200 years old.1:45
After the talk, we were shown into an enclosed space where we came face to face with a ring of skulls.1:53
I began to read some of the inscriptions.2:00
I suddenly began to find them beautiful and mysterious.2:02
I asked the tour guide how long the tunnel was.2:06
He replied, "Well, this walk is just over a mile, but it's just a small section of a 180-mile maze of tunnels."2:10
'It's like a city under a city.'2:17
'You'd definitely get lost without a map down here, wouldn't you?'2:20
I commented to Colette.2:23
'Oh, that's the job of the cataphiles,' answered my friend.2:25
'Cataphiles are people who secretly enter the tunnels and make their own maps.'2:29
As we continued our tour, I learnt that these tunnels were used by resistance fighters during World War II, as a place for farmers to grow mushrooms, and even as a safe for 2,600 tonnes of France's gold.2:34
Most fascinating though was hearing about the elaborate world down there, spaces which have been converted into secret cinemas, concert halls and restaurants by cataphiles.2:48
One cinema for instance has niches carved out of the limestone for candles and terraced seats in front of a huge cinema projector.2:58
They had even installed a security device which triggered a recording of dogs barking if someone came near.3:06
It's all amazing but under no circumstances would I spend an evening in a dark tunnel infested with rats, I told Colette.3:12
"The people who come here want to escape the surface world, with its rules.3:19
They feel totally free in a place where nothing is cushioned with bright lights, cars and signposts.3:24
There are few places where you can experience complete silence, in the centre of a bustling city," Colette said.3:30
I had to admit, I could see the appeal of this.3:38
As the tour ended, we emerged onto a sunlit pavement.3:41
For the rest of my trip, I found myself staring at manhole covers in the road and imagining the incredible hidden world below.3:45
People dive to the greatest depths of the oceans and climb the highest mountains to explore the unknown.3:53
But perhaps one of the world's greatest unexplored treasures lay right under my feet.3:59
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