Pere Lachaise

We had a short excursion to Père Lachaise cemetery. Max was looking for the grave of French composer Poulenc but could never find it. That place is a city unto itself. We were separated for kind of a long time, and then when we were all together again, Eva complained so much that we decided to just leave. 

But it was good while it lasted.

 

 

 

 

sad shrine in disrepair

 

famed lovers Héloïse and Abélard

 

grave of a French magician with carvings of some of his most famous tricks!

 

closeup of an owl for my niece Bella

 

 

This doesn't look like anything else I've seen in Père Lachaise!

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Finally, we will not regret having come..."

Friday flânerie with Mom & Dad

My parents were here on a Friday, which meant that we got to go out together with no stroller!

As we were going down to the metro, I saw this. Evidently a pigeon (or two) had gone into a nearby puddle and then paraded around the sidewalk. Pigeon tracks, a first for me!

Then we saw this dog on the metro. He wasn't on a leash. He was the most well-behaved dog I've ever seen. He stood by the door, waiting for his stop. He would not be deterred, even though we tried to get his attention for a picture. He stood attentively, and when the train came to his stop, he didn't wait for a sign from his owner -- he just trotted right off the train! Hilarious.

Friday was a sunny day, and as those have been increasingly rare around here, we knew we had to do something outside. We decided on Père Lachaise. Mom and Dad hadn't been there since 2002, and I'm always up for going back.

It's fun to look at things with someone who enjoys the same things you do. Mom and I oohed and aahed over the monograms, the moss, the carvings, the doors... Dad had plenty of photo opportunities.

We saw several of these greenhouse-type monuments. I loved this one, even though it was missing panes of glass.

Again with the beautiful rust.

Mom had me take this shot so she could file it away for her own tombstone. Monogram, laurel leaf, wreath, ribbon, scrolled carving -- check.

We must have spent a good 5 minutes trying to figure this one out. Are those old-fashioned scuba helmets they're wearing?! And wait, a lantern? A hatchet? A goat? Does anyone have any idea what this could signify?

We were there for at least 2 hours and only saw a small portion of the cemetery. I love the scope of this place.

Well, this seals it. I guess mums can be beautiful.

another monogram!

Okay. We saw at least 3 stone bats. I'm sure it's no laughing matter, but it cracked me up! I did a little online research just now, and I still am no closer to figuring out what the symbolism is here. Enlighten me.

an M!

I don't even know what these letters are, but it's a monogram. And it's rusty. Need I say more?

This was such a happy little discovery. As if a twig and moss-covered grave wasn't enough, this one was sprinkled with tiny red berries as well. I almost couldn't handle it.

It's common to see a little stained-glass window within a sepulchre, but this was the first stained-glass door I've seen. I think it goes without saying that I think the brokenness adds to its charm...

I have no idea what this plant is, but I'm in love. Tiniest. berries. in. the. world.+

And, my new favorite shadow. I love graves with fences around them!

We saw this gorgeous fresh flower bouquet, and it gave Mom some good centerpiece ideas. I like to see that someone has recently visited and remembered their loved one(s).

Oranges! Urns! There is no end of beautiful details.

Monogram + adorable stone berry wreath = love.

Moss in the letters and numbers! Come on!

Apparently I just really love moss, because I could not stop taking pictures of it. Mom was very supportive of this endeavor.

I guess we must have spent more than 2 hours in the cemetery, because by the time we made our way to the Latin Quarter for lunch, it was 3:00. We went to Cosi (I can't believe it was only my second visit during our stay!) for some delicious roast beef sandwiches.

After lunch, Dad went his own way to squeeze in some last-minute photography. Mom and I went back to the store where she had bought a plethora of scarves for gifts. She was pining after a very, very cute Winter coat and decided she needed to try it on. You should have seen the faces on the shopkeepers when she came on the scene! I'm sure they smelled another big sale. (She got the coat. It is truly covetous.)

We stopped at a flower shop to check out their Christmas trees. Incidentally, the one time we were in Paris at Christmastime (1996), Christmas trees were nowhere to be found. We had to go all the way out to IKEA to get our Charlie Brown tree. Now they are stacked at florists everywhere! (And no, no need to point out that it's been 13 years. I know, things change.)

Flocked trees are everywhere, and here they had orange, black, red, hot pink, navy!

Mom had me ask the florist what the little cabbage-like things were. I said it would be really embarrassing if he said little cabbages. Yep. I was embarrassed. Petits choux.

On the way home, we stopped in the bookstore/stationery shop downstairs for some postcards. We went up to the apartment to lighten our load of purchases, and took Max back out with us to buy chocolates for Mom and Dad to take home.

Mom and Dad packed up their stuff, and I can't even remember if we ate dinner! It's quite possible we didn't. Still, it was a great last day to a great visit.

city of the dead

On Monday, we went to Père Lachaise cemetery. So many things are closed on Mondays, it can sometimes be a challenge, but the cemetery is open every day and we had good weather, to boot.

I was not able to visit the cemetery during our last stay due to my having undergone knee surgery less than 3 weeks before our departure. Happily, that is not the case this time! I love strolling around Père Lachaise -- it is so very different from any American cemetery I've seen, and it enormous, rather like a city within the city.

It has street signs and divisions (97 of them).

I love the moss growing on everything, and the rust. Most of the graves here are very old, and I enjoy the antiquity of it all. There are some new ones sprinkled in and they just look out of place to me, sadly lacking in charm.

Of course I had to take this picture. In France, Olivier is commonly used as a first name. People are always clarifying, making sure I understand they are asking for a family name when I say "Olivier."

If I had a sepulchre, I would want a door like this!

We didn't have a map this time. (They used to provide free maps at the entrances, but now they sell them at the metro exit.) We didn't see any famous graves, we just wandered in true flâneur fashion. You really can't take any wrong turns in a place like this.

Some of the monuments look like tiny cathedrals.

Some are for individuals, but most seem to be for families.

This was the first time I had seen evidence of a recent visit -- it's rare even to see other people in the cemetery at all.

Isn't it amazing to see plants forcing their way through the smallest cracks of stone?

Some monuments have sculptures atop. I hope never to be memorialized in this way!

Friendly neighbors!

I've had a love of ironwork since our first stay in Paris. It is so prevalent, so varied.

Have I mentioned how much I am loving Fall in Paris? Looooooving it.

We saw this man chiseling words into a new gravesite. Somehow, I thought this would be done elsewhere, before its installation. It was interesting to see him working right on site.

Monograms never fail to charm me.

We saw several graves like this one where it appears that someone was trying to escape!

Everything is more picturesque with Fall leaves strewn about.

It was a beautiful day to be outside, and my favorite kind of excursion: quiet, calm, unhurried. I think I may need to return soon.


**An embarrassing footnote: I am having major photo jealousy. Jill always takes wonderful photos, I know this, and usually I am just delighted by them. Here, however, we are going to the same places, taking pictures of the same things, and the contrast is endlessly frustrating to me (as hers are infinitely superior). I like to be the kind of person who delights in the talents and successes of others, and so this is rocking my world a bit.

Perhaps by putting this out there, I will be able to get past it? I need to adopt a mantra that Jill herself coined several years ago: The comparison is not valid at this time. The comparison is not valid at this time. The comparison is not valid at this time. Until I can internalize that, I may have to stop looking...**