During my second trip to Europe in 2001, I got my first taste of a site that I consider odd.

I was in Paris with a friend and I called home to say hello to my family. My mother had come across an interesting article in an upstate NY newspaper. She told me about a site which had recently reopened in Paris.

Right after the call, I stopped at a Tourist Information Center to inquire about the Paris Catacombs.

The catacombs are where the bones of around 6 million people can be found. From what I recall, we headed down a steep, winding staircase. When we made it to the catacombs, we saw bones arranged like art. The place was massive and we were free to wander around quite a large area.

Since our visit, I’ve heard that those who visit the Paris Catacombs more recently are much more restricted. Much less is open to the public.  (The catacombs are “about 150 miles (250km) of underground tunnels beneath Paris, with only a small section open to the public“, according to The Guardian.)

If you haven’t been to the Paris Catacombs, I highly recommend visiting. If and when I head back to Paris, I’ll be sure to check it out again.

Kim sent me an article today about two teens who were rescued from the Paris Catacombs after being lost for three days!

The teens, ages 16 and 17 were taken to a hospital where they were treated for hypothermia. They were found by a search team with rescue dogs.

There are around two kilometers of tunnels open to the public and entering the other areas has been illegal since 1955. However, the Guardian mentions that “Schoolchildren and partygoers have been known to access them through secret entrance points.”

It isn’t known who alerted the authorities about the missing teens. (I’d assume it was their parents!)

Find out more from The Guardian here.