Video: Bones And Art In The Paris Catacombs

by Sean McLachlan on

You’ve probably seen videos or photos of the famous Paris Catacombs, with their miles of ossuaries holding the bones of some six million Parisians. The catacombs were created in the 18th century from existing underground quarries, and these quarries, tunnels, and other mysterious underground spaces create a network under Paris measuring more than 180 miles. It’s truly a city under the city, with its own secret life.

This video, created by some intrepid urban explorers, shows parts of the Paris Catacombs you won’t see on the official tour: rooms filled with graffiti and giant murals, even a large stone model of a castle. Despite their reputation as burial places, the tunnels and rooms beneath Paris seem to have a lot of life in them.

The Parisians who make these works of art, called cataphiles, also sponsor underground parties, meetings, even a cinema. To learn more about these interesting folks, check out this article.

Video Of The Day: Little Girls Surfing in Fiji

by Elizabeth Seward on

Days at the beach are, for many, the most righteous execution of freedom beneath the summer sun–especially if that beach is in a place like Fiji. A lot of people spend their summers doing something that I haven’t yet learned how or even tried to do: surf. Somewhere along the line, I realized that the ocean is kind of terrifying and that the sun can cause skin cancer. I’ve since let these fears usher me under shady beach umbrellas while admiring the surfing folks beyond. But when those surfing folks are little girls, I feel a bit outdone. This video of these little girls surfing in Fiji uploaded by Sean Hiller has not really been seen. With 6 total views on Vimeo as I write this, I think these courageous and adorable little girls deserve a little more attention than they’re getting. (My new mantra: this summer will be the summer I try surfing, this summer will be the summer I try surfing. My new goal: surfing in Fiji).

Video Of The Day: Tokyo In Slow Motion

by Libby Zay on
Just the same as New York or London, Tokyo is a fast-paced place. Filmmaker and Tokyo local Alex Lee has slowed down the hustle and bustle, artfully showcasing some of his favorite parts of the Japanese capital’s most quintessential activities. The short video takes viewers on a trip through the city by foot, train and car, stopping to check out crowded trains, conveyor sushi restaurants, blinking arcades and even a baseball game. Stop and take a few minutes to see the vignettes Lee has captured – it might just inspire you to hurry up and book a trip to Japan.

Video: Climbing In Thailand

by Elizabeth Seward on

Unbeknownst to me prior to today, Eddie Bauer has a Vimeo channel complete with impressive adventure videos – including climbing shots. I happened upon the above video, which features climbers scaling walls in Thailand. The rock is jagged, steep and bolts out of the ocean. Oceanside climbing seems to be a bonus for these climbers, though. Part of this video shows the climbers falling, intentionally or unintentionally, into the teal waters beneath their climbing spots. I’m a little bit ashamed to say that I haven’t tried rock climbing yet. There are many purportedly excellent climbing locations in and around Austin. After watching this video, I think I’ll have to try it out. Next stop: Thailand!