Why Paris is the Perfect Place for a Ghost Story
There are several places in Paris where I’m convinced I’ve experienced supernatural encounters, and other spots that give me a weird vibe. I included some of these places in my book, Getting a Life, Even If You’re Dead. These are merely my opinion. Professional Parisian Ghostbusters may disagree.
1) The Catacombs. This place is so eerily haunting I used it for a pivotal scene in my book. This burial site, an underground tunnel network, holds the remains of over 6 million people from overcrowded and unsanitary cemeteries. Over a two year period, remains were transported nightly by carts while a procession of priests sang a service for the dead along the route to the catacombs. I don’t think this service appeased the spirits, which were uprooted from their permanent resting places in the middle of the night. They were ticked off, destined to haunt Paris for eternity.
2) The Palais Garnier or Opéra Garnier. This opera house was the inspiration for the Phantom of the Opera, which was based on real-life events that took place here. The house is supposedly haunted by Erik, the inspiration for the Phantom. I imagine the spirits of ballet dancers and actors gracing the stage, giving command performances, unable to let go of life in the spotlight. This is my favorite building in Paris and it makes a cameo appearance in my book.
3) The Conciergerie. Set along the Seine in Paris, the building resembles a fairytale castle, which is quite deceiving. It was the first royal palace in Paris, and later used as a prison during the French Revolution. Over 2,700 people were imprisoned here, awaiting the guillotine, including Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI. Marie Antoinette’s cell was reconstructed on part of the actual site of her dungeon. You can visit her cell where a mannequin of the queen, sheathed in black, stares at a crucifix on a desk, pondering her fate. This place sent shivers through my entire body. It was used in a scene that was cut in my book’s final edits.
4) Cemeteries. Of course, Paris cemeteries are haunted. Aren’t they all? However, I believe I had a supernatural encounter in Montmartre cemetery. Early one morning, it was just me and the garbage collectors in the cemetery. I was walking down a remote path when I swore I heard someone following me but nobody was there. This went on for several minutes. I finally worked up the courage to peak behind several rows of tombs to find nothing. This experience inspired my book’s opening scene.
5) Les Deux Magots. Since 1873 this café has been the haunt of famous writers, artists, and intellectuals, such as Sartre, Hemingway, and Picasso. It’s the place to see and be seen for famous celebrities when visiting Paris. Maybe it’s the writer in me, but every time I go there I feel like I’m surrounded by the spirits of famous writers, encouraging me to pen my next novel.
1) The Catacombs. This place is so eerily haunting I used it for a pivotal scene in my book. This burial site, an underground tunnel network, holds the remains of over 6 million people from overcrowded and unsanitary cemeteries. Over a two year period, remains were transported nightly by carts while a procession of priests sang a service for the dead along the route to the catacombs. I don’t think this service appeased the spirits, which were uprooted from their permanent resting places in the middle of the night. They were ticked off, destined to haunt Paris for eternity.
2) The Palais Garnier or Opéra Garnier. This opera house was the inspiration for the Phantom of the Opera, which was based on real-life events that took place here. The house is supposedly haunted by Erik, the inspiration for the Phantom. I imagine the spirits of ballet dancers and actors gracing the stage, giving command performances, unable to let go of life in the spotlight. This is my favorite building in Paris and it makes a cameo appearance in my book.
3) The Conciergerie. Set along the Seine in Paris, the building resembles a fairytale castle, which is quite deceiving. It was the first royal palace in Paris, and later used as a prison during the French Revolution. Over 2,700 people were imprisoned here, awaiting the guillotine, including Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI. Marie Antoinette’s cell was reconstructed on part of the actual site of her dungeon. You can visit her cell where a mannequin of the queen, sheathed in black, stares at a crucifix on a desk, pondering her fate. This place sent shivers through my entire body. It was used in a scene that was cut in my book’s final edits.
4) Cemeteries. Of course, Paris cemeteries are haunted. Aren’t they all? However, I believe I had a supernatural encounter in Montmartre cemetery. Early one morning, it was just me and the garbage collectors in the cemetery. I was walking down a remote path when I swore I heard someone following me but nobody was there. This went on for several minutes. I finally worked up the courage to peak behind several rows of tombs to find nothing. This experience inspired my book’s opening scene.
5) Les Deux Magots. Since 1873 this café has been the haunt of famous writers, artists, and intellectuals, such as Sartre, Hemingway, and Picasso. It’s the place to see and be seen for famous celebrities when visiting Paris. Maybe it’s the writer in me, but every time I go there I feel like I’m surrounded by the spirits of famous writers, encouraging me to pen my next novel.
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