All about Paris Maisons closes...

This weekend the second edition of Paris Face Cachée (Paris underground...) took place. Quite logically  the purpose of this event is to allow Parisians to (re)discover hidden aspects of Paris (I let you discover the program if you can read French). It was a huge success! I personally attended a conference by Sylvanie de Lutèce (that I had previously featured on Portraits Parisiens) about the history of prostitution in Paris. It was really interesting; I learned everything about Maisons Closes (brothels). Fortunately, they are now (really!) closed and prohibited.

Underground Heating

Is that a scary photo or what? I took it last evening on the way back home at rue de Chateaudun, where they are installing underground heating. Yes, Paris has one of the largest underground heating networks in the world, but I don't think anyone knows that. It's actually hard to imagine that huge pipes run underneath the city and heat up several buildings throughout Paris, isn't it? (check this little flash animation) And though the CPCU (Compagnie parisienne de chauffage urbain), the company that operated this heating in Paris, claims that it's highly eco-friendly and very efficient. FYI one part of their energy sources come from... our garbage!

Paris underground...

Here is a little "behind the scene" for today. As I did not know who was going to win yesterday, I prepared two photos and this is the one I planned to use in case France had beaten the Brits. The caption would say something like "Ever ask yourself where losing rugby players never visit when in Paris? Well wonder no more... The English team can now be found among the other remains that lie below the streets of Paris in the catacombs." Well, that serves me right! The Catacombs are a giant network of galleries that were turned into a huge cemetery during the 18th century and are now closed. You can still visit l'Ossuaire where skulls are to be seen, like on this photo...