Be warned, taking a break from my usual snarky behavior to appreciate some of what Paris offers today. Forgive me, will return to the usual cake making, misunderstanding French and ridiculous observations soon.
One weekend a couple of friends and myself met up to go one of the most popular tourist attractions in Paris. Everything in Paris is a tourist attraction and they are all beautiful. But this one was different. We went to Pere Lachaise, a cemetery opened by Napoleon on the outskirts of Paris eons ago to aid in the over-crowding of the more centrally located cemeteries. He even moved famous people, like Abelard and Heloise, to this new location to attract the unsure of location. Morbid, possibly. But traipsing among the gravestones, I found one of the most beautiful, peaceful places I’ve ever been.
We went on a rainy Sunday in the fall, with the crisp, cool air lending a feeling of silence and decorum I rarely find this big city. Not much to say about this, besides that it was a Paris experience I truly loved. While the pictures speak for themselves, I still feel the need to bring you with me and therefore, you must deal with my observations, as did my companions. Or do as they did and ignore me and look at the amazing surroundings. So stunning.
The leaves changing colors and the soaking wet, dark tree trunks were stark against the grey stone and it was lovely.
This was one of the stones I saw in the first few minutes of arriving and it took me that, while the family has clearly died off or forgotten the ancestral site, the person who loved whoever was laid to rest here wanted them to forever have flowers on their grave. You can no longer read who it is, but they have their blooms. A lot of the cemetery was like this – more for the people left behind. Monuments to show how much the person lost was loved. This was certainly one of the lower-key ones, but the sentiment was overwhelming.
From the first time in Paris with my mom, I remember going to the old cemeteries and admiring the beauty. It hasn’t been lost on me after all these years.
Stopped by the most popular site in the entire cemetery – Jim Morrison. All sorts of mementos were left for him as an ode to his memory; lives he touched, in whatever odd or obscure way, he is remembered. Never been a huge Doors fan, seeing as I know the most about him from movies, but still interesting to see others reactions.
These are a few of the stunning sculptures. I loved them.
Searched high and low for Oscar Wilde. So worth it. The tradition is to kiss the tombstone, though there are many signs warning against defacing the monument. This has been going on for years though and many cleanings have happened over the years, without anyone stopping. Again, his impact is visually obvious.
And lastly, just some beautiful aspects of our walk.
Loved it. Truly a lovely day. We only made it about ¼ of the way through, before cold overtook us. I certainly plan on going back.
Ok, back to normal scheduled shows now. Random, yes. But I can’t bake and eat cake all day. Believe me, I tried. The sugar crash is hard.
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