The Père Lachaise cemetery is on all the major Paris sigh-seeing lists. Mainly, I always thought, because it's free and you can find the tombs of the rich and famous. Visiting was never high on my list of places to see but some friends invited us to join them on Sunday afternoon, so we made the trek to the 20th district, on the opposite side of the city, to see what's there.
In my mind, I imagined flat, grass covered tombstones and trees covered in moss. You know, like the ones in the States you spot from the highway. This is NOT that. Yes, there were a lot of tombstones but there are a lot more telephone booth-sized mausoleums. They lined the "avenues" like a stone shanty town. Some are very plain and others are works of art. Most acted as mini-chapels, so just the right size to open the little doors, kneel and say a prayer for your departed family member.
There are maps you can download to find the historical figure you want to visit, such as Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf or, oddly, Jim Morrison from my least favorite band ever. But, tombs are jam-packed, and avenues are winding and wild, so it's difficult to navigate. The visit turned into wandering and reading the names, maybe guessing at their life and what they saw.
The girls found it "cool but a little creepy." And, given the chilly day, we didn't last very long. However, I would recommend visiting, especially if there's a particular celebrity you'd like to stop by and say hello.
In my mind, I imagined flat, grass covered tombstones and trees covered in moss. You know, like the ones in the States you spot from the highway. This is NOT that. Yes, there were a lot of tombstones but there are a lot more telephone booth-sized mausoleums. They lined the "avenues" like a stone shanty town. Some are very plain and others are works of art. Most acted as mini-chapels, so just the right size to open the little doors, kneel and say a prayer for your departed family member.
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| Up at the Top You Can See the Back of an Avenue With the Mini-Chapels |
The girls found it "cool but a little creepy." And, given the chilly day, we didn't last very long. However, I would recommend visiting, especially if there's a particular celebrity you'd like to stop by and say hello.
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