In doing research before I came to Paris, I came across a few websites about increasing tourism in Paris' cemeteries. Two particularly popular stops are the Pere Lachaise Cemetery and the Montparnasse Cemetery. I made my way to both on my last full day in Paris, in the cold and under light rain. Still, it was probably the best new thing I did on my trip. I saw the tombstones of people like Edith Piaf, Charles Baudelaire, Jim Morrison, Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, Man Ray, Serge Gainsbourg, Susan Sontag, Rossini, Oscar Wilde... and a million rich and ornate family tombs some dating back hundreds of years.
Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvior
A personal highlight, the tomb of Serge Gainsbourg
Edith Piaf
Oscar Wilde's tomb, something really amazing and unlike anything else I've ever seen
Pere Lachaise is the older cemetery and seems endless. It feels like miles and miles of tombstones and family plots fighting each other for space and attention. I highly recomend these excursions for a break from museums and other more formal and established tourist sites in Paris. All cemeteries provide a map with the names of noteable people buried there and an approximate location of their tomb.
No comments:
Post a Comment