29 November 2006

Paris, sometimes you scare me a little.

There isn't a lot to update – since I've been sick, I wake up, go to class, do my homework and go to sleep. Today though, I happened to walk home a different way and found something a little disturbing.

Yes, those are actual stuffed rats. Hanging from traps. In the window of a business on rue des Halles. Right next to a popular boulangerie.


The rats kind of make sense, because it's the office of an exterminator/pest control business...but still. The sign translates to: Destruction of Harmful Animals


Here's a closer view of the dead rats. The sign in the middle explains that these were all sewer rats that were actually trapped and killed by this business around the Forum des Halles in and around the year 1929. Apparently they had them stuffed...and kept them.

5 comments:

Rebecca Young said...

I'm so glad you got your camera back!

Anonymous said...

Holy s**t! That's terrifying!

Anonymous said...

Halley! When I was in Paris three years ago with my family I saw that place with the stuffed rats! It was disturbing, however, I always regretted not taking a picture of it because when I told people about it they didn't believe me.

-Lizzy

Halley Griffin said...

Hahahahha now you can prove it!

NAUAuntie said...

I visited this shop in 1991, and found the manager hysterical. He took us next door to the zinc bar for a drink, and told us a version of the shop's history. I took pictures of the shop and showed my family and friends when I returned to the states, and they all thought I was nuts for even going there, but it was one of the best memories I have of Paris!