A "street" in Pere Lachaise
A weeping figure mourns the one buried here
Monuments of every style and shape
All the way up the hill are monuments-A study in black and white
Today is Bastille Day, when the French celebrate their independence from the tyranny of the aristocracy with a holiday air and fireworks in the evening. We spent the morning at Pere Lachaise Cemetery, where the vaults are all above ground. It is laid out like a little city, with streets, street signs, stairs going up to higher levels, and covers quite a bit of area. The coloring is mostly in various shades of black, white, and grey, with a little greenery splashed about here and there. Our photography focus for today was just that, black and white with a splash of color. We spent some time here hunting for the graves of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and Proust. Jim Morrison's grave is sprinkled with flowers; Oscar Wilde's, with kisses.
In the afternoon we saw the famous Sacre-Coeur Church (from a distance, as there was a huge crowd surrounding it), then spent several hours wandering through the surrounding neighborhood of Montmartre. Among other things, we bought some interesting artwork and saw the outside of the house at No. 54 rue Lepic where Vincent Van Gogh and his brother once shared an apartment. We walked to the Cimetiere de Montmartre, which is very similar to Pere Lachaise with its above ground vaults. Emile Zola is buried here. We also saw a number of feral cats about the place. Then back to the hotel for a Thai dinner and listening to fireworks in the distance.
In the afternoon we saw the famous Sacre-Coeur Church (from a distance, as there was a huge crowd surrounding it), then spent several hours wandering through the surrounding neighborhood of Montmartre. Among other things, we bought some interesting artwork and saw the outside of the house at No. 54 rue Lepic where Vincent Van Gogh and his brother once shared an apartment. We walked to the Cimetiere de Montmartre, which is very similar to Pere Lachaise with its above ground vaults. Emile Zola is buried here. We also saw a number of feral cats about the place. Then back to the hotel for a Thai dinner and listening to fireworks in the distance.
A cat at the Cimetiere de Montmartre
This wall in a little Montmartre park says "I love you" in 311 languages (maybe more, as visitors have added their own inscriptions).
A lavender seller at Montmartre
What beautiful fruit!
No. 54 rue Lepic is where Vincent Van Gogh and his brother once lived
Some things never change. Viva la cimetiere!
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