Visiting cemeteries is not something that I do very often.
Oh, I know that these places are often very interesting with all the old gravestones.
Actually I much prefer the pretty little graveyards so often found surrounding old English churches.
Huge acreages packed with tombs stretching as far as you can see seem like a terrible waste of space to me and they are usually situated on prime real estate.
However this was the famous Pere Lachaire cemetery of Paris so yesterday we set off to see it.
We are visiting some of the outer areas of Paris this trip and are really enjoying this peek into the lives of real Parisians.
Throughout there are large Horse Chestnut trees which are very pretty and some are absolutely huge.
Everything is neat and tidy.
Some graves have little gardens where flowers are in bloom and some have pretty fresh flowers.
There are well marked roads crisscrossing the entire cemetery and you need to buy a map if you are looking for something in particular.
There are many famous people buried here as well as ordinary families.
One of the graves we were looking for was the grave of James Morrison.
Here it is attracting quite a few other people. It is not as it was originally due to vandalism.
What remains is fenced off a little way from people loving it to death.
Next we set off up to the top of the hill to find Oscar Wilde's grave....
and here it is !
A very strange headstone I thought.
Can you see the red sploggy marks on the end?
Here's a closer view.
Yes, they're lip marks ! People have been kissing the stone !
Yuck !
Previously it was so bad and caused such damage to the stone removing it, that a glass cage now protects the lower parts.
( photo from the internet)
Aren't people weird ?
The last grave we sought out was the grave of the legendary lovers Abelard and Heloise.
You can read their amazing story here :
www.abelardandheloise.com/Story.html
This is their tomb. They were removed from their original separate graves and placed here together.
Reunited in their tomb after spending most of their lives apart.
One of the great love stories .
And so our fantastic holiday comes to an end.
In a few hours we head off to Charles De Gaulle airport for the 24 hour flight home.
On the way we lose a day, departing here on 31st May and arriving home on 2nd June.
It is Winter time back home but the forecast temperature is 26 degrees on Monday -warmer than anything we have had since we came over to Europe !
Au revoir mes amis.
A bientot !
All over so soon? Thank you for sharing some wonderful sights. 24 hours in transit is a long time isn't it?
ReplyDeleteSure is Carol.always longer on the way home. Five has gone quickly.
DeleteAre you OK ?
Did you visit Isle St Louise where Helouise and Abelarde were said to have lived too? I posted about it here: http://marigoldjam.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/paris.html. We had intended visiting that cemetry last year but having spent a couple of hours in the one in Montmartre we felt enough was enough! I don't think I would like to be buried somewhere like that myself and how sad that people desecrate some of the graves isn't it? Bon voyage - I thought it was yesterday you were leaving Europe so imagined you almost home by now! Fancy having 26 degrees in winter!
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember your post. Cemetery was interesting. I'd rather have my ashes scattered somewhere nice than go into one of those tombs !
ReplyDelete26 degrees is too hot for Winter. Very unusual. Hoping for some cool weather at home soon. Winter is our best season in my opinion.
Even the smallest villages in France have very imposing Cemeteries, which are always looked after very well. Our little village had one that was often decorated with flowers...but unfortunately they were all silk, or plastic.
ReplyDeleteYou have had another fantastic holiday thanks to your excellent research and planning. I hope that you have a safe journey back to Oz and that your plane isn't hi-jacked by Al Qaida terrorists with machine guns.
ReplyDeleteI could handle them !
ReplyDeleteHey Tony - those dudes are not Italian pizza girls you know!
DeleteThis looks like a really interesting cemetery, so many interesting people there too. I enjoyed the story of Abelard and Heloise, I'd never heard of them before.
ReplyDeleteAnd again, excellent photos, Helsie. Thanks for taking me along with you on your holiday! I've had a ball!
ReplyDeleteThe weather is still very warm here...so you won't be arriving home to winter temperatures. We had some nice rain yesterday (Saturday)...it was most welcome.
It's currently 19 degrees in Brissie...6.30 pm Sunday night...as I write.
Looks as though a great time is being had. Thanks for sharing! Ros
ReplyDeleteI have just read my way through your posts from Pompeii to here this morning. You really seem to pick the very best of every place you visit: apartments right in the middle of the most gorgeous villages, the most stunning tables at the most spectacularly placed restaurants, all the little gems in the most beautiful and evocative countryside. How do you do it? You must do lots of research I think. Living on this continent, I haven't seen half the things you have seen. All very inspiring and really encourages one to 'get out there'! It's all there to be enjoyed. You two really know how to have fun.
ReplyDeleteYou're right Foody, I do lots of research before we go and I'm getting better each time with the apartments too. They were all wonderful this time and to be fair we've never had bad accommodation so far in our travels. Other than that Lonely Planets and Rick Steeve's books help us with finding good places to visit and sometimes places to eat. I'm glad you enjoyed the posts, I certainly enjoyed experiencing it all !!
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