La Tour de Sewer

It's been a whacky week. Leo is visiting from Oakland. Since he was struggling from jet lag, we stayed out late several nights. Though it seemed late to me, Leo was actually going to sleep early, between 7:00 and 9:00 pm California time. Typically I returned home earlier than he did. Still I don't think I've ever seen 4:00 am so many times in one week. Now I feel like I have jet lag due to the nine-hour difference between Paris and California. Oy.

We did manage to "faire une grande balade." In other words we took a long stroll through Paris. Having left my house shortly after 2:00 one afternoon, we headed past Notre Dame, down the right bank, wandered through the 7th arrondisement, weaved through the mobs at the Eiffel Tower, crossed the Seine and walked past the Trocadero to the Arch de Triomphe. Then we strolled down the Champs Elysee and promenaded through the Jardin de Tuileries.

From the Louvre, it's just a short walk back to the Marais, where we arrived at about 9:00 and justified eating pizza for the second time in three days. After all, it was a seven hour "work-out."


Along the way, we stopped in at the Musee des Egouts. Leo, as a city planner and myself, with strange interests, both wanted to do a "tour of the sewer." There really is a complex network of sewers underneath Paris and the history and technology is quite fascinating. It made me realize how dependent we are upon the invisible infrastructure of our cities. So, next time you're sitting on the toilet or drinking a glass of water, think about how lucky we are to not have to think about such things.


For those who think this was a "Les Miserables" experience, well it kind of was. Apparently, Victor Hugo had connections and when he wrote of protagonist Jean Valjean escaping through the sewers of Paris, it is based on actual knowledge of the complex sewer system. (Confession, I've only seen the play and never read the novel.)

Being ever so shy, Leo would not allow me to take a photo. Fortunately he thought these large plates of "steel" (I'm sure he'll correct me as to the type of metal it actually is) made for magnificent art, so I was able to snap a photo of his shadow. Considering all of the late nights, maybe a shadow is appropriate.