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Old Oct 4th, 2005 | 09:21 AM
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Paris Ghost Tours?

Does anyone know of ghost walks in Paris?

Thanks!
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Old Oct 4th, 2005 | 10:28 AM
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thank goodness - no.
There is enough cheese to be found in Paris as it is.
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Old Oct 4th, 2005 | 10:29 AM
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p.s. do a little reading,especially a book called "Permanent Parisians" then go visit Cimetiere Pere Lachaise...and the Catacombs in the 14th... Real graves and bones for real people.
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Old Oct 4th, 2005 | 10:49 AM
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Thanks Travelnut,

I love cemeteries, but I think I'll go for Cimetière de Montmartre instead and avoid the Jim Morrison contingent!
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Old Oct 4th, 2005 | 01:39 PM
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Oh, there are usually only a handful of people looking for him, or hanging around his gravestone (which is very un-remarkable, BTW). We just went to Cim.Montmartre - a bit unkempt in a cool way; found the graves for Gustave Moreau(Symbolist painter), Louise Weber the Can-Can dancer, and Nijinksi (world's best dancer, at least in his time)...lots of cats slithering between the tombstones, lolling on top of crypts, etc.

Cim.Montparnasse is nice, very tidy and has some interesting headstones, including one of Charles Pigeon and his wife in bed (http://www.headstones.fsnet.co.uk/montp1.jpg)
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Old Oct 4th, 2005 | 07:10 PM
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You must be thinking of London. Ghosts are not a French concept. It's a bunch of rubbish, anyway.
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Old Oct 4th, 2005 | 11:51 PM
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Paris doesn't have much in the way of ghosts. I don't know why, since the city is certainly old enough and has a colorful history, but they just don't seem to hang around. My impression is that ghosts are most common in the UK. I don't know of any ghost tours in Paris.

The Père Lachaise cemetery is worth a visit, although you won't see any ghosts (just lots of cool graves and tombstones and vaults). The Catacombs are likely to be a disappointment, unless you have a very keen historical interest in piles of bones.
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Old Oct 6th, 2005 | 10:39 AM
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Let's see, London begins with an "L" and has six letters. Paris only has five and more people speak French there. So I'm sure it's Paris I'm thinking of. Ghosts are RUBBISH?? You mean ghosts don't EXIST??? ARRRRGGGHH!! My world is crumbling around me!!!!
It's not necessary to believe in ghosts to enjoy ghost stories, you know...

Here's a link to a famous French ghost story:

http://www.jamesmdeem.com/ghoststory3.htm
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Old Oct 6th, 2005 | 11:14 AM
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Hi..
Ghosts do exist and they exist in Paris.. Had a Ghostly experience at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery.. Also, My husband and I saw a ghost briefly while we were at St. Chapelle.. I loved going to Pere Lachaise..We found several people by Jim Morrison's grave but the cemetery is so huge and fabulous so it wasn't a problem at all.
For people that don't believe in ghosts, I understand because I was one of them but once you have seen a ghost..Wow.. your whole mind set changes...and no, I am not a nut!
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Old Oct 6th, 2005 | 01:06 PM
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Although I have never seen ghosts and remain skeptical as to their existence, I know many rational, intelligent people who are convinced that ghosts exist and have experienced such sightings. I happen to love ghost stories and have written a few myself. When I travel somewhere new, I often look for local ghost lore. I guess it appeals to the romantic, the historian and the mystery lover in me and is just plain fun.

One interesting tidbit: When I visited Rome last year and asked about ghost stories in a book store I was told that the idea of ghosts is not that popular in Italy. Perhaps it has something to do with a Catholic world view? Anyway, I was never able to find a book on Roman ghosts, which is pretty astonishing when you consider the layers upon layers of history found in the Eternal City. Maybe I didn't look hard enough, but I suspect that there must be some philosophical or religious reason for such regional differences relating to folk- and ghostlore.

Someday I would love to visit the Paris Catacombs, but not alone! Another wonderful, spooky city is Edinburgh which I believe has several ghost tours.
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Old Oct 8th, 2005 | 10:54 AM
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I did a search on WorldCat and found that,yes, it is virtually impossible to find ghost books for any European country other than Britain. Which is especially odd when you think that Cicero (a Roman!) and Homer both wrote of ghosts and Maupassant wrote ghost stories. And oddest of all, the founder of spiritism was a Frenchman, Leon Denizard, who published "The Book of Spirits" in Paris in 1857. It was a kind of handbook for mediums. Only you would think mediums in Paris would starve for lack of gainful employment!
 
Old Oct 8th, 2005 | 11:37 AM
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I agree with AnthonyGA. Cim Pere La Chaise is definitely worth a visit. Jim Morrison's grave is not a deterent at all. In fact it's not even one of the most interesting. Ghosts or no ghosts, it's an interesting way to spend an hour or two.
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Old Nov 17th, 2005 | 11:30 AM
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The folks at Auberge Nicolas Flamel (oldest house in Paris) claim Nicolas still drops by occasionally - so that's one ghost, anyway!
 
Old Nov 17th, 2005 | 04:29 PM
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Read "waiting for Gertrude" by Bill Richardson. It's about the cats of Pere Lachaize who are now the famous dead.
The cats have some odd couplings, like both Colette and Oscar Wilde have the hots for Jim Morrison. Alice B. Toklas is there still cooking up her hashish brownies as well as gourmet dishes like artichoke with Vole. for th cat population. Isadore Duncan and Marie Callas are there to do naughty.
Life there is a pussycat. LOL
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