I never would have thought that I would enjoy spending an afternoon in a cemetery until I visited Cimetiere du Pere-Lachaise in Paris on March 29, 2012. I already spent the earlier part of the day traipsing around the catacombs when I met a really nice Australian girl who also had an affinity for getting lost in a foreign country. We spent an hour hanging out at the Jardin de Luxembourg when we decided to visit the cemetery. It was one of the best days ever 🙂
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| Entrance to the cemetery – Photo from Wikipedia |
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| Map of the Cimetiere du Pere-Lachaise |
We thought that the best way to tackle the cemetery was to choose 7-8 famous people that were buried in the cemetery. The cemetery was just too vast (110 acres) for us to see in one day.
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| These mausoleums looked grand once but have since been vandalized |
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| Such an imposing mausoleum |
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| Jim Morrison’s tomb – with a 24-hour security detail |
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| Beautifull and creepy |
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| Alfred Chopin |
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| The discoloration of this statue stood out among the grey surroundings |
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| Newer tombstones |
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| Roundabout inside Pere-Lachaise |
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| Honore de Balzac |
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| Marcel Proust |
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| My favorite – Oscar Wilde |
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| Oscar Wilde’s tomb was the most modern and flamboyant of all |
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| Oscar Wilde’s naked angel |
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| Amadeo Modigliani |
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| Edith Piaf |
It was such a beautiful, warm day in Paris and we got to spend it in the cemetery. It was different take on Paris. Apart from the riffraff over at Jim Morrison’s tomb, we did not have to compete with huge crowds of tourists. However, because of the expanse of the cemetery, we got so lost and could not find our way back to the main gate. Luckily, one of the security patrols found us and gave us a ride back to the main gate.
For those who are planning on going to Paris, I recommend visiting Cimetiere du Pere-Lachaise. It’s rife with history, and offers a different Parisian experience.
PS:
All photos were taken by me except for the cemetery entrance (borrowed from Wikipedia).