One of the truly fantastic things to do when you can is to descend into a city’s underworld. That’s where the history is. Not just the history of the rich, but the history of everything, from sewage redistribution to wine cellars.
Oddly, the Wall Street Journal has a very interesting article on all the access points to the Paris underground. Sure, there are bones and crazy people down there, but also a lack of rats. Hmmm.
So here: Paris From Below. Do not be surprised that it starts with this:
“Paris is a kind of lost cesspool,” wrote Victor Hugo. “To plumb the depths of this ruin seems impossible.”
So plumb, dammit.
And if you want to develop the resources with which to plumb, see the newly formed facebook community French and France